Japanese runners arrive in London
12 April 2011
A group of 13 tired but thankful Japanese athletes and coaches landed at Heathrow airport this afternoon ahead of the Virgin London Marathon on Sunday, 17 April.
The group included six of the seven Japanese runners who were added to the elite women's field for the London race after the earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan last month threatened to destroy their hopes of competing for their marathon-mad nation at this summer's IAAF World Championships in Daegu.
The runners were due to compete in the Nagoya International Women's Marathon on 13 March before the event was cancelled due to the tragedy which struck Japan two days earlier. The Nagoya race was scheduled to be the final selection race for Japan's World Championships marathon team.
When the London Marathon offered to provide places in its elite women's race and to cover all travel and accommodation costs for the delegation, the Japan Association of Athletic Federations chose London as a replacement World Championships trial.
Virgin London Marathon race director David Bedford said: "We have all watched with horror the devastating scenes from Japan and we send our sympathies and condolences to our friends and colleagues there.
"On hearing that the Nagoya International Women's Marathon had been cancelled, the Virgin London Marathon immediately offered its support to the Japanese federation. The JAAF asked us to assist by providing places to some of its runners and we are delighted to add these Japanese athletes to our elite women's field."
On arriving in London, Japan's national team head coach Tadasu Kawano expressed his gratitude to the London organisers.
"We would very much like to express our appreciation to the London Marathon and all our friends in Britain for their support, and for giving our athletes this opportunity," said Mr Kawano. "Everyone at home is still struggling after the disaster in Japan. We even had another earthquake this morning before we left.
"We had to cancel the Nagoya International Women's Marathon a few weeks ago so we are very grateful that our women athletes have been given this chance to prove themselves. I am confident that they will all try to do their best in the London Marathon on Sunday."
Arriving with Kawano this afternoon were Mizuho Nasukawa, the 2009 Tokyo marathon champion, Yurika Nakamura, the 2008 Nagoya champion, plus four of fellow athletes, five coaches and a physiotherapist. The 2009 Nagoya champion, Yoshiko Fujinaga, will arrive from her training base in China on Thursday.
With only Yoshimi Ozaki, this year's Yokohama marathon winner, already selected for Japan's Daegu team, there are still four places up for grabs. Yukiko Akaba, who won the Osaka marathon earlier this year and placed sixth in London last year, was already in the 2011 London Marathon elite women's field.
All the Japanese women racing on Sunday, plus four wheelchair competitors from Japan, will be appearing at a Virgin London Marathon press conference at the Tower Hotel in London at 1.30pm on Thursday, 14 April.
For a full schedule of Virgin London Marathon press conferences this week, go to:
Race Week Press Conferences.