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Olympic Marathoner Shigetomo Wins Chugoku 10000 m in PB Time

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/olympic/news/2012/05/19/kiji/K20120519003285991.html

translated and edited by Brett Larner

At the Chugoku Corporate Track & Field Championships May 19 at Hiroshima's Miyoshi Sports Park Field, London Olympics women's marathon team member Risa Shigetomo (Team Tenmaya) won the 10000 m title in a new PB of 33:25.48.  "It wasn't as fast as I wanted," she said afterwards, indicating the main task she has ahead of her in the time left until the Olympics.

Shigetomo had not raced since winning January's Osaka International Women's Marathon.  She took the 10000 m out hard, running alone with focus, but with lost training due to sciatic nerve problems she has been suffering since mid-March she was forced to scale back her target time by one minute.  Her coach Yutaka Taketomi commented, "We knew she wasn't in shape yet.  The goal now is to get her legs strong."

At the end of the month Shigetomo will run the Bupa London 10000 m road race as a preview of the Olympic marathon course.  "I want to absorb the atmosphere and the whole environment into my whole body and come away with a good feel for it," she said with a look of determination.

Translator's note: Most of the rest of Japan's Olympic marathoners will also be running in the Bupa London 10000.

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