Sato’s roommate at Komazawa will likely be Ibuki Kaneko, who ran nicely on the uphill Fifth Stage on the Hakone Ekiden and is beginning his third 12 months in April. Assigned to mentor is Kotaro Shinohara, simply ending his personal first 12 months, who beat Sato by one place at February’s Nationwide Cross Nation Championships. Shinohara welcomed the workforce’s new recruit. “Sato’s actually robust,” he stated. “I will need to work laborious to not get crushed.”
Because the older workforce members present the 18-year-old Sato across the dorm, his 180 cm top stands out. His lengthy limbs and dynamic type already make him a match for even one of the best amongst them on the monitor. Final June Sato was eighth within the 1500 m on the Nationwide Championships. The following month he ran 3:37.18, the Third-fastest time ever by a Japanese athlete and bettering the highschool nationwide report for the primary time in 22 years. Later in the summertime he gained the 1500 m on the Nationwide Excessive Faculty Championships and was the highest Japanese placer within the 5000 m at Third total. Within the fall he broke the 3000 m and 5000 m highschool nationwide data.
Sato continues to be over two seconds off the three:35.00 qualifying customary for July’s Oregon World Championships 1500 m, however, says Komazawa head coach Hiroaki Oyagi, is optimistic about his possibilities. “I would like him to go for it, and within the 5000 m as nicely.” Sato agreed, saying, “I need to run sub-13 whereas I am a scholar right here. The main focus till my second 12 months will likely be on creating my pace, and making the World Championships this 12 months is a serious objective. First up I’ve to get the usual and make prime 3 at Nationals.”
Final November Komazawa gained the Nationwide College Males’s Ekiden for the second 12 months in a row, and in January it was Third on the Hakone Ekiden. Sato can be extremely motivated for ekiden success. “I need to construct my stamina on the summer time coaching camps and be in place to win my stage proper from my first 12 months. The Hakone workforce will likely be powerful to make as a result of the older runners are extra skilled with lengthy distances, however I would be blissful to run something aside from the mountain levels.”
Additionally at Komazawa are two of Japan’s greatest 10000 m runners, Ren Tazawa, 27:23.44, and Mebuki Suzuki, 27:41.68. Tazawa is the fastest-ever Japanese-born collegian and all-time Japanese #2, and Suzuki was Third eventually 12 months’s Nationwide Championships. “Having robust senior teammates will inspire me to enhance my very own degree,” stated Sato with attribute stoicism.
Komazawa’s annual first-year coaching camp begins on Mar. 17 and can mark Sato’s official transition from “Rakunana’s Sato” to “Komazawa’s Sato.” Having laid out some huge objectives, this 18-year-old expertise is bound to play an enormous position each in Japan and on the world degree.
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translated by Brett Larner
