The Japan Championships, which also serves as the final selection tournament for the Paris Olympics in athletics, opened on the 27th at Denka Big Swan Stadium in Niigata City.

Nozomi Tanaka (24, New Balance), who is aiming to compete in two consecutive Olympic events (1500m, 5000m), marked a good time of 4 minutes 8.16 seconds in the 1500m preliminaries and advanced to the finals. By winning and beating the participation standard record (4 minutes 2.50 seconds), she grabbed her second ticket to Paris after the 5000m.

On the first day, six finals were held. In the women’s high jump, Nagisa Takahashi (24, Senko) failed to attempt 1.90m, but she recorded 1.87m, close to her personal best of 1.88m set at the Shizuoka International in May, and won her third consecutive title. In the women’s 3000m hurdles, Reimi Yoshimura (24, Cramer Japan TC) won her second consecutive title with a time of 9 minutes 45.77 seconds.

In the women’s hammer throw, the Japanese record holder, Joy Iris MacArthur (24), recorded 65.66m, followed closely by Mitsuka Kodate (Some Q) with 65.63m. They achieved their second consecutive victory with the “smallest margin of victory in history, 3cm.”

Ryoma Aoki (27, Honda) won the men’s 3000m hurdles for the first time. “It was a race where I was able to show my strengths,” Aoki reflected. Although he did not break the standard record (8 minutes 15 seconds 00) with a time of 8 minutes 24.21 seconds, he is still within the target number (36) for the entry slots set by the IAAF, making him a strong candidate for the national team. Ryuji Miura (22, Subaru), who has already been selected for the Olympics, will not be competing in this tournament.

Tomorrow, on the second day, world champion Haruka Kitaguchi (26, JAL) will compete in the women’s javelin throw.

[Japan Championships Day 1 Finals Results]

■Men’s 3000m SC
Winner: Ryoma Aoki (27, Honda) 8 minutes 24.21 seconds
■Men’s hammer throw
Winner: Tatsuto Nakagawa (25, Sato Foods Niigata Albirex RC) 72.71m
■ Men’s triple jump
Winner: Yuto Yasuda (2nd year, Graduate School, Fukuoka University) 16.70m
■ Women’s 3000m SC
Winner: Reimi Yoshimura (24, CramerJapanTC) 9 minutes 45.77 seconds
■ Women’s hammer throw
Winner: MacArthur Joy Iris (24) 65.66m
■ Women’s High Jump
Winner: Nagisa Takahashi (24, Senko) 1.87m