Yoshimi Ozaki
Encyclopedia
Yoshimi Ozaki is a Japan
ese long-distance runner, who specializes in the marathon
. She won the 2008 Tokyo Women's Marathon in a personal best time of 2:23:30 hours. A year later she took the silver medal
in the event at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
.
Ozaki has won international team medals with Japan at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
. She is coached by former world marathon medallist Sachiko Yamashita
.
, she made her senior international debut at the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and although she finished in 19th place, this was enough to help Japan to the women's team bronze medal
. She struck team bronze the following year, this time in the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships
where she finished 13th overall and ran a half marathon
personal best of 1:09:26 hours.
Ozaki opened the 2008 season at the Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon and she came close to her personal best (1:09:30) to take second place behind Philes Ongori
. She made her marathon debut that year at the Nagoya International Women's Marathon and she came close to victory, but her time of 2:26:19 was only enough for second place behind Yurika Nakamura
(another athlete making her debut over the distance). Her first win came in only her second outing over the distance as she won the 2008 Tokyo International Women's Marathon
in a personal record time of 2:23:30.
She qualified herself for the 2009 World Championships
in Berlin
and she came in second in a time of 2:25:25, only ten seconds behind Chinese winner Bai Xue
. Competing at the 2010 All Japan Corporate Team Half Marathon Championships, she took second place behind defending champion Filomena Cheyech, although her performance as the top finishing Japanese athlete earned her a place on the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
squad. She finished ninth at the championships in Nanning
, a placing which led the Japanese women to the team bronze medal
.
She ran at the Yokohama Women's Marathon
in February 2011 and broke the course record with a time of 2:23:56, gaining herself a place in the Japanese World Championship squad in the process. However, at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
in Daegu
she did not produce the same form and finished 18th with a time of 2:32:31 hours. She returned to the Yokohama women's race in November but was defeated by the less well-known Ryoko Kizaki
in the final stretch. Hot weather made for slow times which reduced Ozaki's chances for Olympic selection.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese long-distance runner, who specializes in the marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
. She won the 2008 Tokyo Women's Marathon in a personal best time of 2:23:30 hours. A year later she took the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the event at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
.
Ozaki has won international team medals with Japan at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
and the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The IAAF World Half Marathon Championships is an annual half marathon competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was contested from 1992 to 2005, and replaced by the IAAF World Road Running Championships, a 20 kilometres race which had its inaugural...
. She is coached by former world marathon medallist Sachiko Yamashita
Sachiko Yamashita
is a Japanese former long-distance runner, who won the silver medal in the women's marathon at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo.-Achievements:-References:*...
.
Career
Born in Kanagawa PrefectureKanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, she made her senior international debut at the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 1-2 April 2006 in Fukuoka, Japan.The event was once again dominated by Ethiopian and Kenyan runners and also Eritrean runners...
and although she finished in 19th place, this was enough to help Japan to the women's team bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
. She struck team bronze the following year, this time in the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships
2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships
The 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships were held in Udine, Italy on 14 October 2007.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:...
where she finished 13th overall and ran a half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
personal best of 1:09:26 hours.
Ozaki opened the 2008 season at the Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon and she came close to her personal best (1:09:30) to take second place behind Philes Ongori
Philes Ongori
Philes Moora Ongori is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in half marathon and marathon events....
. She made her marathon debut that year at the Nagoya International Women's Marathon and she came close to victory, but her time of 2:26:19 was only enough for second place behind Yurika Nakamura
Yurika Nakamura
is a Japanese long-distance runner. Nakamura grew up in the Hyōgo Prefecture.She finished seventh at the 2006 World Road Running Championships, helping the Japanese team win the bronze medal in the team competition. In 2008, she won the Nagoya Marathon in her marathon debut. In the 2008 Summer...
(another athlete making her debut over the distance). Her first win came in only her second outing over the distance as she won the 2008 Tokyo International Women's Marathon
Tokyo International Women's Marathon
The Tokyo International Women's Marathon was a marathon for female elite runners held in Tokyo from 1979 until 2008 in November.It was first held in November 1979, and this race was the first women's marathon officially sanctioned by the International Amateur Athletic Federation...
in a personal record time of 2:23:30.
She qualified herself for the 2009 World Championships
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and she came in second in a time of 2:25:25, only ten seconds behind Chinese winner Bai Xue
Bai Xue
Bai Xue is a female Chinese long-distance runner who specializes in the 10,000 metres.-Career:Bai won both the 5000 and the 10,000 metres at the 2005 Asian Championships, and finished fourth in 10,000 m at the 2006 World Junior Championships. She finished twenty-first in the 10,000 metres at the...
. Competing at the 2010 All Japan Corporate Team Half Marathon Championships, she took second place behind defending champion Filomena Cheyech, although her performance as the top finishing Japanese athlete earned her a place on the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Nanning, China on 16 October 2010. The competition took place on the city streets, beginning and ending at Wuxiang Square, with a total prize purse of US$245,000 at stake....
squad. She finished ninth at the championships in Nanning
Nanning
Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:...
, a placing which led the Japanese women to the team bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
.
She ran at the Yokohama Women's Marathon
Yokohama Women's Marathon
The Yokohama Women's Marathon is an annual marathon held in Yokohama, Japan, and hosted by Japan Association of Athletics Federations, TV Asahi, the Asahi Shimbun...
in February 2011 and broke the course record with a time of 2:23:56, gaining herself a place in the Japanese World Championship squad in the process. However, at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics
2011 World Championships in Athletics
The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....
in Daegu
Daegu
Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
she did not produce the same form and finished 18th with a time of 2:32:31 hours. She returned to the Yokohama women's race in November but was defeated by the less well-known Ryoko Kizaki
Ryoko Kizaki
Ryoko Kizaki is a Japanese long-distance runner who competes in marathon and half marathon races. She won the 2011 Yokohama Women's Marathon in a personal best time of 2:26:32 hours...
in the final stretch. Hot weather made for slow times which reduced Ozaki's chances for Olympic selection.
Achievements
- All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise
Representing 2008 Tokyo Marathon Tokyo International Women's MarathonThe Tokyo International Women's Marathon was a marathon for female elite runners held in Tokyo from 1979 until 2008 in November.It was first held in November 1979, and this race was the first women's marathon officially sanctioned by the International Amateur Athletic Federation...Tokyo, Japan 1st 2:23:30 2009 World Championships 2009 World Championships in AthleticsThe 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....Berlin, Germany 2nd 2:25:25 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's MarathonThe Women's Marathon event at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics took place on August 23, 2009 in the streets of Berlin, Germany. The race started at 11:15h local time.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:...2010 World Half Marathon Championships 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon ChampionshipsThe 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held in Nanning, China on 16 October 2010. The competition took place on the city streets, beginning and ending at Wuxiang Square, with a total prize purse of US$245,000 at stake....Nanning NanningNanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:...
, China9th 1:11:02 2011 World Championships 2011 World Championships in AthleticsThe 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....Daegu DaeguDaegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
, Korea18th 2:32:31 2011 World Championships in Athletics – Women's MarathonThe Women's marathon at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held starting and finishing at Gukchae - bosang Memorial Park on August 27. A total of 54 runners began the race and twenty three nations were represented....
Personal bests
| Event | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Competition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5000 m (track) | 15:28.55 | Tottori Tottori, Tottori is the capital city of Tottori Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan.As of 2006, the city has an estimated population of 200,974 and a density of 262.48 persons per km². The total area is 765.66 km².... , Japan |
6 June 2004 | |
| 10,000 m (track) | 31:47.23 | Kobe Kobe , pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka... , Japan |
24 April 2005 | |
| Half marathon Half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a... (road) |
1:09:26 | World Road Running Championships 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships The 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships were held in Udine, Italy on 14 October 2007.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:... |
Udine Udine Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical... , Italy |
14 October 2007 |
| Marathon Marathon The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race... (road) |
2:23:30 | Tokyo Marathon Tokyo International Women's Marathon The Tokyo International Women's Marathon was a marathon for female elite runners held in Tokyo from 1979 until 2008 in November.It was first held in November 1979, and this race was the first women's marathon officially sanctioned by the International Amateur Athletic Federation... |
Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... , Japan |
16 November 2008 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.