Nine Japanese women have been added to the field for next month’s London marathon after the Nagoya marathon was called off following the earthquake and tsunami.
Nakamura for London
The Nagoya event was earmarked as the final selection race for the Japan team to travel to the athletics World Championships in Daegu, but was canceled after the March 5 disaster.At the request of the Japan Association of Athletic Federations (JAAF), the London marathon agreed to now serve as the selection event for the final four places in Japan’s team for Daegu.
The nine runners include last year’s Nagoya winner Yuri Kano, another former Nagoya winner Yurika Nakamura plus former Tokyo marathon champion Mizuho Nasukawa.
“We have all watched with horror the devastating scenes from Japan and we send our sympathies and condolences to our friends and colleagues there,” London marathon director David Bedford said.
“The JAAF asked us to assist by providing places to some of its runners and we are delighted to add nine elite Japanese athletes to our elite women’s field.”
The other invitees are Madoka Ogi, Yoshiko Fujinaga, Yukari Sahaku, Azusa Nojiri, Noriko Matsuoka and Risa Shigetomo. This year’s Osaka marathon winner Yukiko Akaba had already been entered in the London field.
Yoshimi Ozaki, who won the Yokahama marathon this year, had already been selected in Japan’s team for Daegu, but the other four spots will be decided by results in London.