Naoko Takahashi

Naoko Takahashi (Japanese高桥 尚 子Naoko Takahashi, born May 6, 1972 in Gifu ) is a former Japanese long-distance runner and Olympic gold medalist. She remained in 2001 as the first woman in the marathon at the 2:20 mark.

In 1997 she ran her first marathon and finished seventh at the Osaka Women's Marathon in 2:31:32 h In the same year she won the 5000 - meter race the World Athletics Championships in Athens the 13th Place.

In 1998 she was first with a victory at the Nagoya Marathon in 2:25:48 national champion, and then won the marathon in the Asian Games with the Japanese record time of 2:21:47. In early 2000 she improved her half marathon time in Chiba at 1:08:55 h, again won the marathon in Nagoya and was crowned in the same year her career by winning the marathon in the Olympic Games in Sydney - in front of the Romanian Lidia Simon and the Kenyan Joyce Chepchumba.

In 2001 and 2002 she won the Berlin Marathon, 2001 in the then world record of 2:19:46.

Also in 2001 she won the Ōme Marathon over 30km with the Japanese record time of 1:41:57 h 2005 she won the Tokyo International Women's Marathon, where she was second in 2003 and 2006, a third party.

In 2008 she tried to qualify the Nagoya Marathon for the Beijing Olympics, but finished only 27th place in 2:44:18. In October of the same year Takahashi announced her retirement from professional sport.

Your farewell run, she completed the Nagoya Marathon 2009.

The athlete with the nickname "Q- chan" is 1.61 meters tall and weighs 52 kg.

Personal Best

  • 5000 m: 15:21,15 min, 9th May 1998 Osaka
  • 10,000 m: 31:48,23 min, June 9, 1996, Osaka
  • Half Marathon: 1:08:55 h, January 23, 2000, Chiba
  • 30 - km road race: 1:39:02 h, 30 September 2001 Berlin (intermediate )
  • Marathon: 2:19:46 h, 30 September 2001 Berlin
592145
de