Japan National Championships Open With Takayuki Matsumiya Winning 10,000m:

Locks in Olympic Berth

June 26, 2008

In today's opening session of the Japan National T&F Championships, Takayuki Matsumiya took his third consecutive 10,000m title, winning comfortably in 27:51.27. Ryuji Ono (27:55.16) of Asahi Kasei and Yuu Mitsuya (27:58.63) of Koichi Morishita's Toyota Kyushu team took 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Boulder Wave athlete Satoshi Irifune of Kanebo was 5th in 28:05.44.

Having secured his "A" standard at the Cardinal Invitational in May [see News Archive article from May 5, 2008], Matsumiya becomes the fifth athlete represented by Boulder Wave to lock in a spot for the Beijing Olympic Games. Takayuki will double back on Saturday in the men's 5,000m

Friday's featured event on Day Two will be the women's 10,000m final.

Photo by Toshihiro Kitagawa of Norte, Inc.