This morning (Japan time) in Fukui (JPN) which hosts the 73rd National Sports Festival, the women's walking events and the U20 and U18 boys race were held on the distance of 5.000m on the track.
5.000m women's track walk
Twenty athletes at the start including the U20 and U18.
The race is based on the performances of two athletes: Kumiko Okada and, in particular, Nanako Fujii still U20.
Immediately leading the race Kumiko Okada (JPN) that this year seems to have found a new vitality.
The twenty-seven Japanese guide the race from start to finish with the following split times:
- 1.000m: 4:17
- 2.000m: 8:34 (4:17)
- 3.000m: 12:50 (4:16)
- 4.000m: 17:05 (4:15)
- last 1.000m: 4:03.97
Her then the victory with the time of 21:08.97 which represents the new female record of the National Sports Festival reached the 73rd edition and new personal best of the athlete (previous of 21:17.97 obtained in Kumagaya, JPN on May 16, 2015).
We remember that Kumiko Okada (JPN) had already obtained in 2018 a good 21:34.56 (also in Kumagaya, JPN on 19.5.2018) that placed her in 11th place in the world list of 2018.
Now with this result Kumiko Okada (JPN) goes up to the fourth position.
| | MARK | COMPETITOR | DOB | NAT | VENUE | DATE |
| | | | | | | |
| 1 | 20:38.16 | Maria PÉREZ | 29 APR 1996 |  ESP | Granollers (ESP) | 14 JUL 2018 |
| 2 | 20:48.75 | Anežka DRAHOTOVÁ | 22 JUL 1995 |  CZE | Uherské Hradiste (CZE) | 26 AUG 2018 |
| 3 | 21:00.15 | Shenjie QIEYANG | 11 NOV 1990 |  CHN | Torino (ITA) | 26 MAY 2018 |
| 4 | 21:08.97 | Kumiko OKADA | 17 OTT 1991 |  JPN | Fukui (JPN) | 08 OCT 2018 |
| 5 | 21:14.20 | Raquel GONZALEZ | 16 NOV 1989 | ESP | Granollers (ESP) | 14 JUL 2018 |
Second place and excellent result for the Junior Nanako Fujii (JPN) who completes the race in 21:24.40 which represents the new national U20 record of Japan as well as the young Japanese jumps the top of the U20 world list 2018 (previous performance: 22:38.16 by Taylor Ewert, USA established in Philadelphia, USA on April 24, 2018).
Third place for Kaori Kawazoe (JPN) in 22:16.22.
5.000m U20 and U18 boys track walk
Twenty the athletes at the start.
Vicotry to Ryo Hmanishi (JPN - 2000) in 20:27.62
Second place to Yudai Hase (JPN - 2001) in 20:33.52
Third place to Masaru Suzuki (JPN - 2000) in 20:36.91
We only report that the first eight athletes all got a time less than 21:00.00.
In particular for Yudai Hase, still U18, this performance places him at the top of the world 2018 list, in front of Lubomir Kubis (SVK) who on June 23,2018 had obtained a time of 20: 59.46 in Banska Bistrica.
(Co-operation by Tomoya Ishii - JPN)
(Photos by JAAF Twitter and Manamin - JPN)
Full results (of two days) in the section Results or directly download from this link: click here