Naoko Takahashi's bid for a second straight Olympic gold in women's marathon was crushed when she failed to qualify for the Athens Olympics, the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) said on Monday.
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The JAAF said the women's national team will feature Naoko Sakamoto, 23, Reiko Tosa, 27, and Mizuki Noguchi, 25. Masako Chiba, the reigning world bronze medalist, will serve as a reserve who is able to replace any runner but only for health reasons.