Nobuharu Asahara
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese former athlete who specialized in the 100 metres
and long jump
. He won the 100 m at the Japanese national championship on five occasions in 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2002, and he took part in the Olympics four times in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. He represented Japan six times at the World Championships in Athletics.
At global-level championships, he reached the semifinals five times: at the 1996 Olympics and the World Championships in 1997, 2001, 2003 and 2007. He also finished twelfth in the long jump final at the 1995 World Championships
. In addition he won silver medals in both 100 m and 4 x 100 m relay at the 2002 Asian Games
.
specialist and he won a silver medal
at the 1990 Asian Junior Championships with a jump of 7.49 metres. He gained his first major regional medal at the 1993 East Asian Games
in May, where he took a silver with a jump of 7.93 m to finish behind Nai Hui-Fang. He won the 1993 Asian Championships
in a new championship record and career best of 8.13 m (a mark which was broken in 1995 by Huang Geng
).
He began to establish himself as Japan's top long jumper, winning the event at the Japanese national championships for the first time in 1994, and going on to two more national titles in 1995 and 1997 (missing out to Shigeru Tagawa in 1996). He completed a 100 m and long jump double at the 1997 National Sports Festival of Japan
.
He set three Japanese records in the 100 meters, with 10.19 seconds in 1993, 10.14 seconds in 1996 and 10.08 seconds in 1997. He recorded 10.17 seconds at 35 years old in 2008.
in Beijing
, competing at the 100 metres
sprint. He placed fourth in his first round heat behind Michael Frater
, Pierre Brown and Darrel Brown
, normally causing elimination. However his time of 10.25 was the fastest losing time and he advanced to the second round. There he could not repeat himself, ending up in eighth place with a time of 10.37 seconds. Together with Shingo Suetsugu
, Shinji Takahira
and Naoki Tsukahara
he also competed at the 4x100 metres relay. In their qualification heat they placed second in behind Trinidad and Tobago
, but in front of the Netherlands
and Brazil
. Their time of 38.52 was the third fastest out of sixteen participating nations in the first round and they qualified for the final. There they sprinted to a time of 38.15 seconds, the third time after the Jamaica
n and Trinidad teams, winning the bronze medal. It was the first Olympic medal for Japan in 80 years in track races.
On 23 September 2008, he retired from competitive athletics at the Kawasaki Super Meet, finishing third in the 100 m behind Mark Lewis-Francis
and Michael Rodgers. After being greeted on the podium by Usain Bolt
, Asahara said "It wasn't my best race, but it was exciting to run in front of so many fans. It was quite appropriate for my final race." After his retirement he was employed by Osaka Gas
and opened an athletics training camp for children.
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 former athlete who specialized in the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
and long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
. He won the 100 m at the Japanese national championship on five occasions in 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2002, and he took part in the Olympics four times in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. He represented Japan six times at the World Championships in Athletics.
At global-level championships, he reached the semifinals five times: at the 1996 Olympics and the World Championships in 1997, 2001, 2003 and 2007. He also finished twelfth in the long jump final at the 1995 World Championships
1995 World Championships in Athletics
The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....
. In addition he won silver medals in both 100 m and 4 x 100 m relay at the 2002 Asian Games
2002 Asian Games
The 2002 Asian Games, also known as XIV Asiad is a multi-sport event held in Busan, South Korea from September 29 to October 14, 2002. Busan is the second city, after Seoul in 1986 to host the Games. A total of 419 events in 38 sports were contested by 7,711 athletes from 44 countries...
.
Early career
Asahara started out as a long jumpLong jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
specialist and he won a 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....
at the 1990 Asian Junior Championships with a jump of 7.49 metres. He gained his first major regional medal at the 1993 East Asian Games
Athletics at the 1993 East Asian Games
At the 1993 East Asian Games, the athletics events were held at the Yuanshen Sports Centre Stadium in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. A total of 41 events were contested, of which 22 by male and 19 by female athletes...
in May, where he took a silver with a jump of 7.93 m to finish behind Nai Hui-Fang. He won the 1993 Asian Championships
1993 Asian Championships in Athletics
The 10th Asian Championships in Athletics were held in early December 1993 in Manila, Philippines.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:*...
in a new championship record and career best of 8.13 m (a mark which was broken in 1995 by Huang Geng
Huang Geng
Huang Geng is a retired male long jumper from PR China. His personal best is 8.38 metres, achieved in May 1995 in Taiyuan.-Achievements:-References:...
).
He began to establish himself as Japan's top long jumper, winning the event at the Japanese national championships for the first time in 1994, and going on to two more national titles in 1995 and 1997 (missing out to Shigeru Tagawa in 1996). He completed a 100 m and long jump double at the 1997 National Sports Festival of Japan
National Sports Festival of Japan
is the national premier sports event of Japan. The abbreviated name is Kokutai . The 65th National Sports Festival of Japan was held in October 2010 in Chiba Prefecture.- Emperor's Cup and Empress Cup Champions :...
.
He set three Japanese records in the 100 meters, with 10.19 seconds in 1993, 10.14 seconds in 1996 and 10.08 seconds in 1997. He recorded 10.17 seconds at 35 years old in 2008.
Olympic medal and retirement
Asahara represented Japan at the 2008 Summer OlympicsJapan at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Japan competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The delegation of athletes and officials were represented by the Japanese Olympic Committee.The list of qualified entries for Japan is shown...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, competing at the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
sprint. He placed fourth in his first round heat behind Michael Frater
Michael Frater
Michael Frater O.D is a sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres event. He won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2003 Pan American Games for the event....
, Pierre Brown and Darrel Brown
Darrel Brown
Darrel Brown is a sprinter from Trinidad and Tobago who specializes in the 100 metres.In the beginning of his career he performed well in World Youth and Junior Championships. At the 2000 World Junior Championships he finished fourth in both 100 metres and 4 x 100 metres relay...
, normally causing elimination. However his time of 10.25 was the fastest losing time and he advanced to the second round. There he could not repeat himself, ending up in eighth place with a time of 10.37 seconds. Together with Shingo Suetsugu
Shingo Suetsugu
is a Japanese sprinter. He is the Asian record holder in the 200 metres and 4×100 metres relay.Suetsugu won a bronze medal in the 200 metres event at the 2003 IAAF World Championships in a time of 20.38 seconds. The same year he set an Asian record of 20.03 seconds at the Japanese...
, Shinji Takahira
Shinji Takahira
is a Japanese sprinter who specialises in the 100 and 200 metres.Tsukahara competed in the 200 m at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2005 World Championships but failed to progress beyond the heats. He took the silver medal at the 2005 Summer Universiade...
and Naoki Tsukahara
Naoki Tsukahara
is a Japanese sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres.Tsukahara represented Japan at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing where he competed at the 100 metre sprint and placed second in his first heat after Churandy Martina in a time of 10.39 seconds...
he also competed at the 4x100 metres relay. In their qualification heat they placed second in behind Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
, but in front of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Their time of 38.52 was the third fastest out of sixteen participating nations in the first round and they qualified for the final. There they sprinted to a time of 38.15 seconds, the third time after the Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n and Trinidad teams, winning the bronze medal. It was the first Olympic medal for Japan in 80 years in track races.
On 23 September 2008, he retired from competitive athletics at the Kawasaki Super Meet, finishing third in the 100 m behind Mark Lewis-Francis
Mark Lewis-Francis
Mark Anthony Lewis-Francis is a British track and field athlete, specifically a sprinter, who specialises in the 100 metres. A renowned junior, his greatest sporting achievement at senior level has been to anchor the Great Britain and Northern Ireland 4 x 100 metres relay team to a shock gold...
and Michael Rodgers. After being greeted on the podium by Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
, Asahara said "It wasn't my best race, but it was exciting to run in front of so many fans. It was quite appropriate for my final race." After his retirement he was employed by Osaka Gas
Osaka Gas
, commonly written as 大阪ガス, is a Japanese gas company based in Osaka, Japan. It supplies gas to the Kansai region, especially Keihanshin area.-Overview:*Senboku Power Fuel Company Limited*Osaka Gas Energy America-External links:...
and opened an athletics training camp for children.
Personal bests
| Event | Time (sec 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.... ) |
Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 metres 50 metres 50 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor athletics competitions it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes... |
5.75 | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... , France |
24 February 2002 |
| 60 metres 60 metres 60 metres is a sprint event in track and field athletics. It is a championship event for indoor championships, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor venues it is a rare distance, at least for senior athletes... |
6.55 | Sindelfingen Sindelfingen Sindelfingen is a German town near Stuttgart at the headwaters of the Schwippe that is the site of a Mercedes-Benz assembly plant.-History:* 1155 First documented mention of Sindelfingen... , Germany |
1 March 1997 |
| 100 metres 100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896... |
10.02 | Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... , Norway |
13 July 2001 |
| 200 metres 200 metres A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first... |
20.39 | Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... , Germany |
13 July 1997 |
| Long jump Long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point... |
8.13 m | Manila Manila Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,... , Philippines |
3 December 1993 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.
Achievements
| Representing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | East Asian Games Athletics at the 1997 East Asian Games At the 1997 East Asian Games, the athletics events were held at the Busan Gudeok Stadium in Busan, South Korea between 10–19 May. A total of 43 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 20 by female athletes.... |
Busan, South Korea | 1st | 100 m |
| 2001 | East Asian Games Athletics at the 2001 East Asian Games At the 2001 East Asian Games, the athletics events were held in Osaka, Japan from 23 to 26 May 2001. A total of 45 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 22 by female athletes. All events were held at the Nagai Stadium, with the exception of the racewalking and half marathon events... |
Osaka, Japan | 3rd | 100 m |