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Takahashi Naoko (1972- )
 Arimori Yuko, 1992 Olympic silver medalist in the marathon (and the bronze
in 1996), has good reason to hate Takahashi Naoko. The photogenic
and popular Arimori's post running career has been completely
eclipsed by the current success of the equally camera-friendly
Takahashi. What's more, Q-chan - as she is known to her many fans - had the nerve to become
the first Japanese track and field Olympic gold medalist (see
note below) in Sydney and currently holds the world record, having broken the 2-hour,
20-minute time barrier at the 2001 Berlin Marathon. Indeed, many consider the 29-year old Takahashi as the best
female marathon runner of all time.
Takahashi's bio includes another important thing she has in common
with Arimori - both women actively sought out and were coached
by the charismatic Koide Yoshio, who also trained 1997 world champion Suzuki Hiromi. Takahashi approached Koide at the track club of Recruit, one of Japan's major companies, after her graduation from Osaka Gakuin University. Koide initially refused to coach her and only accepted her when
she offered to train with the team at her own expense. She had
been a promising but only moderately successful 800m runner in
junior and senior high school and had moved up to longer distances
at university. But a first place at the collegiate championships
eluded her and, even under Koide at first, her results continued
to be mediocre. When Koide moved to the Sekisui Chemical track team, Takahashi followed, despite her loyalty to the Recruit
team. She knew that Koide was the only coach who could help her
realize her potential.
In 1996, Takahashi started to make a breakthrough. She achieved
good times in the 5,000m and 10,000m and was selected for the
Japanese 1997 World Championship team in Athens. She trained with marathon champion Suzuki but finished a disappointing
13th in the 5,000m. She had previously finished 7th in her marathon
debut in Osaka earlier in the year and her second marathon, at Nagoya in 1998, was the turning point. She won the race in a new national
record time of 2:25:48 and people started to sit up and take notice.
Further successes at the 5,000m and 10,000m distances were followed
by the gold medal at the Asian Games in Bangkok. Despite the hot and humid conditions, she ran the
fifth-fastest time in history - the fastest ever in an all-female
race - and was voted the best female athlete of the year by British
magazine Athletics International.
Koide said that he had always thought that the marathon would
be her strongest event, but that she had lacked the mental strength
needed for the big events. He said, "After a mediocre run in her
debut marathon, I thought it would take her two years to fulfill
her potential. Next year, she will even be better." And indeed,
the best was yet to come.
The 2000 Olympic women's marathon in Sydney was the fifth time
the event was held and the course was considered to be the most
difficult yet. Takahashi took the lead in the race at the 35km
mark and never looked in any danger after that. She finished in
a new Olympic record time of 2:23:14, beating the 16-year old
record set in the first ever event. Takahashi's tiny 157cm, 40kg
frame was almost enveloped in the Hinomaru flag that she carried on her lap of honor. She immediately sought
out Koide, the coach who had helped her reach the pinnacle of
her career. The two often appear together and Koide, with his
ebullient personality, has become a popular face on Japanese TV.
But Q-chan (the nickname relates to a story about Takahashi dancing
at a Recruit welcome party dressed as cartoon ghost Q-Taro), has
become a real sporting icon, a hero for troubled times in Japan.
Her world record time in Berlin showed that she is on course to
win more than one Olympic medal.
Note: Much was made of the fact that Takahashi was the first Japanese
athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field. In fact,
at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Korean Son Ki Tei was forced to run under the Japanese flag and won the marathon
gold. Korea had been annexed by Japan at the time. |
