Japanese Team Heads to Beijing

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2015/08/19/kiji/K20150819010962120.html

translated by Brett Larner

Concerned about the potentially serious impact of Beijing's air pollution, most of the Japanese team arriving for the upcoming World Championships were wearing surgical masks. Running in the Championships' first event, the men's marathon, Kazuhiro Maeda (Team Kyudenko) commented, "I'm a bit nervous since we're up first, but I want to try to get things off to a good start." Looking toward the guaranteed place on the 2016 Rio Olympic team available if he finishes in the top 8, Maeda's marathon teammate Masakazu Fujiwara (Team Honda) said, "I'm going to run in the lead group right from first half."

Competing in his third-straight World Championships, sprinter Kei Takase (Team Fujitsu) spoke confidently as he said, "This is the best shape I've been in up to now. More than anything I want to produce good results." Along with Takase, men's 10000 m runners Yuta Shitara (Team Honda) and Tetsuya Yoroizaka (Team Asahi Kasei) and others also made the trip to Beijing. On the day of their arrival Beijing was a cool 27 degrees, and when temperatures dropped even further in the evening they headed to the sub-track for a light shakeout.

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