Japan’s Track “Godfather” Comes on Board China Olympic Track Team

Source: Oriental Sports Daily

After four months’ negotiation, Japan’s famous track coach, Shinya Takeuchi, finally booked trip to China on Tuesday, January 29, taking the new role as Chinese track team’s special director and advisor. He’s expected to come on aboard on February 3rd, on which day, he will be heading to the training camp with China’s track team, in Kunming, Yunnan province, directing base training. He will then go with the team to some altitude training bases in Liaoning province and Tsinghai province, where elevation goes above 2,400 meters (about 7,900 feet), to prepare for the last phase before Beijing Olympics. This presents huge challenge to a 76-year-old man.

On January 27, Shinya Takeuchi had completed all paperwork to come to China, and made official announcement on taking the advisor role in China’s team. “I accepted the invitation from Chinese team. This is to set a new personal life record for myself as well. I have coached Youfeng Zhao in China. I was happy to see her achievement, but I feel I’m capable of something more.” Takeuchi smiled with an ambition. “China has huge expectations to their track and field this time. I can guarantee to Chinese people, with where their women’s marathon team is now, 99.9% chance is that they can not beat Japan’s Noguchi Mizuki. The reason why I took this offer is just because of the huge challenge. If, however, Chinese runners take my advice seriously and train hard, chances will great improve that they will do well in marathon in August.”

Takeuchi’s remarks are not empty talks. Over seventy years’ old, he has rich coaching experience in track. He had a long conversation with his former university colleague Seto on January 24. Takeuchi indicated, “Chinese marathon still lags behind Japan and needs substantial improvement. People have expectations on me, and thus comes pressure. I’d like to do my best, first to change the spirit of Chinese team, which I think is most important.” They made promise that Takeuchi shall come back to Japan with Chinese team’s success.

The 76-year-old Takeuchi used to be Japan’s top track coach. In 2006, he got invitation from University of Sakura to become professor in Human Health. With rich track coaching experience, he gained deep knowledge in the field of human body physiological recovery. Prior to coaching China’s team this time, Takeuchi had accepted offer from Jiangsu province sports officials and coached Chunxiu Zhou and Xiaolin Zhu. Zhou later won silver medal in world championship, which gained Takeuchi much credit in China’s track and field circuit. The end of last year, China national track team formally threw out olive branch to Takeuchi who happily accepted the offer. “I hope to make contributions to our neighbor country, China, in last years of my life.”

Two National Records Set in 2008's First Meet

source: http://sports.sina.com.cn

In the entire 2007, a total of just three track and field events’ Chinese national records were re-written. At the very first meet of Chinese track and field this year, the National Indoor Track and Field Championship Shanghai stop that just drew the curtain a few days ago, two events’ national indoor records have already become history, including men’s 60 meter dash and pole vault.

Yongyi Wen Broke Men’s 60m National Record The Third Time

National Indoor Meet Shanghai stop took place from January 26th to January 27th. Altogether more than 600 athletes participating in 12 events for men and women respectively. Due to the limits of events, many Beijing Olympic A standard athletes didn’t show up in this meet, good performances still took place.

Among 80 runners in men’s 60 meter dash, Yongyi Wen from Guangdong was the top contender. He ran 6.62 seconds in the preliminary and ranked no. 1. In final heat, he further improved his time to 6.58 seconds, leading the second place, Ke Jin from Beijing, by a good 0.08 second. The time was good enough for a new national record.

Wen first ran under 6.60 seconds in last March’s Beijing Indoor Meet, a time of 6.59 seconds, breaking national record held by himself. This time in Shanghai, he furthered the national record again by 0.01 second.

21-year-old Wen is the new rising star in men’s sprinting in China. In 2006, his 100 meter best was 10.30 seconds, ranking third in the nation. Last year, he won gold medals in grand prix a few times in China and Asia and ran a 10’28 seconds in the National Collegiate Track and Field Meet, meeting Beijing Olympic B standard.

Picture: Yongyi Wen (right), winner of the men's 100m, at 2006 Asian Grand Prix

So far, no athlete in China has qualified for the 100 meter men’s Beijing Olympic A standard, 10.21 seconds. Only two athletes qualified for B standard, 10.28 seconds. In addition to Wen, Peiyin Zhang from Beijing ran 10.27 seconds last year in Shanghai Grand Prix the end of last September.

Feiliang Liu “Flew” Over New Heights

The other new indoor national record at this meet was set by Feiliang Liu from Shandong in Men’s pole vault. He leaped over a bar (equivalent to 18 feet 5 and 1/4 inches) 5.62 meter high, bettering national indoor record by one centimeter.
In February 2006, Feiliang Liu leaped over 5.60 meters at the national indoor series Beijing stop, setting a new national indoor record. Last year at Shanghai stop, pole vaulter Quan Yang from the hosting Shanghai team first broke this record with 5.61 meters. This time in Shanghai, Liu virtually got back the national record that had originally belonged to himself.

In recent two years, men’s pole vault in Shandong has improved rapidly and became a bright spot in China’s field circuit. In 2006, three of the nation’s top five were from Shandong, Feiliang Liu and Yansheng Yang ranked first and second respectively. This time in Shanghai, Feiliang Liu, Yansheng Yang and another teammate Kang Li swept the top three in men’s pole vault.

23-year-old Liu made big progress in recent years. In 2005, his outdoor best reached 5.70m and competed in world championship in 2005 and 2007. Although Liu was not able to get in top 12 to advance to final in 2007’s world championship, he passed 5.65 meters in preliminary, good enough for ranking 13th.

At 2007 national college students’ track and field game, Feiliang Li set new national outdoor men’s pole vault record with a height of 5.71 meters.

The Beijing Olympic men’s pole vault A standard is 5.70 meters. Liu thus became China’s sole A standard qualifier for this event. If nothing goes wrong, he will contend at Beijing Olympic Games this coming August.

How is your training going?

Hi, guys, please share your training experience, especially in bad weather. I am taking it easy -- around 20 miles a week.

You know what, my officemate came to ask me whether I wanted to run Calistoga to Santa Cruz relay this year( April 18~19). She is trying to set up a team. So I may run the relay again this year.