Japanese record-holder Atsushi Fujita and surprise package Yoko Shibui were named to the 10-member national marathon team for the athletics world championships this summer, the Japan Amateur Athletics Federation (JAAF) announced Tuesday. Fujita set the Japanese record of 2 hours, 6 minutes, 51 seconds in Fukuoka last December to become the early favorite for the Japanese team for the world meet in Edmonton, Alberta, this August.
Along with Fujita, Beppu-Oita marathon winner Takayuki Nishida (2:08:45) and Shigeru Aburaya (2:07:52), third at the Lake Biwa marathon earlier this month, were also confirmed for the team.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.