At the municipal stadium of Abashiri, on the island of Hokkaido (JPN), today took place the first day of the "Hokuren Distance Challenge", an event that takes place over four stages and contemplates events of middle-distance, long-distance and race walk.
The first stage today included the two events of the 5,000m track walk for both men and women.
The second walking tests will take place on Saturday 7 July at the Kitamo Toryo Sport Park and will be on the distance of 10,000m track walk.
5.000m track walk men
Great result of Daisuke Matsunaga (JPN) who won the race in 18:37.84
Matsunaga who boasts a personal best of 38:40.22 on the 10.000m track walk and that this year in Kobe on 18 February had been capable of an excellent 1:17:46 (in 20 km) has undermined by the seasonal world leadership 2018 Veli-Matti Partanen (FIN) that in Espoo (FIN) on 13 June had been clocked in 18:43.17
These are the split times every 1.000m:
- 1.000m: 3:40
- 2.000m: 7:26 (3:46)
- 3.000m: 11:13 (3:47)
- 4.000m: 14:59 (3:46)
- last 1.000m: 3:38.84
Second place to Masatora Kawano (JPN) in 18:51.86 new personal best (previous of 20:02.38 established on October 10, 2016 at Kitakami, JPN). Also for him a great result that puts him in third place in the world rankings of 2018 behind Veli-Matti Partanen (FIN) and in front of Tom Bosworth (GBR) that in Birmingham (GBR) had stopped the clock last July 1 in 19:01:20.
Third place to Kouki Ikeda (JPN) in 19:24.13 new personal best (previous of 20:27.55 established on July 31, 2016 in Okayama, JPN)
In fourth place another Japanese star Tomohiro Noda (JPN) in 19:27.10 new personal best (previous 19:59.22 set on Jan. 11, 2015 in Tokyo, JPN)
5.000m track walk women
Victory to Ai Michiguchi (JPN) in 22:06.60
These are the split times every 1.000m:
- 1.000m: 4:21
- 2.000m: 8:47 (4:26)
- 3.000m: 13:12 (4:25)
- 4.000m: 17:38 (4:26)
- last 1.000m: 4:48.60
Second place to Kaori Kawazoe (JPN) in 22:12.72 new personal best (previous ofi 22:2114 established on Oct. 9, 2017 in Matsuyama, JPN).
Third place to Chiaki Asada (JPN) in 22:17.34.
Full results in the section Results or directly download from this link: click here