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World Junior Championships Middle and Long Distance Entry List Highlights

by Brett Larner

The 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships kick off today in Barcelona, Spain.  Ethiopia and Kenya look set to dominate most of the middle and long distance events with competition from Morocco and Eritrea and athletes from a scattering of other countries including Japan.

Japan's best distance medal chance looks to be in the women's 3000 m, where Miyuki Uehara comes in as the #1 seed with a PB over three seconds better than her nearest competitor, Emelia Gorecka of Great Britain.  After Great Britain's Laura Muir Uehara's teammate Misuzu Nakahara is the #4 seed with a best of 9:15.04, giving Japan a decent chance of picking up at least one medal in the event.  But with the next four athletes holding bests within less than two seconds of Nakahara and all hailing from Ethiopia and Kenya it won't be easy.  #3 and #5-ranked Shiori Yano and Moe Kyuma likewise stand a chance of hardware in the women's 5000 m, with Ethiopia's Buze Diriba looking like a lock for gold over the doubling Gorecka.

Komazawa University ace Kenta Murayama, the first Japanese collegiate first-year since Toshihiko Seko to win the National University Track & Field Championships 5000 m, is the #2 seed in the men's 10000 m behind Kenyan Geoffrey Kirui, but with weak recent results it would take a major return to form for Murayama to find his way to the podium.  His identical twin brother Kota Murayama is the top-ranked man in the 5000 m, coming in at #10 in the field.  If Kenta Murayama is not 100% then the Japanese men's best medal chance may be 800 m runner Sho Kawamoto, ranked 5th in the field but only a second-plus off third-ranked Wesley Vazquez of Puerto Rico.

Check back over the week for updated results throughout the 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships.

IAAF World Junior Championships - Middle and Long Distance Top Ten Entrants
Barcelona, Spain, 7/10-15/12
click here for complete entry lists

Women

Women's 5000 m
Buze Diriba (Ethiopia) - 15:11.53
Emelia Gorecka (Great Britain) - 15:34.21
Shiori Yano (Japan) - 15:44.68
Alena Kudashkina (Russia) - 15:45.80
Moe Kyuma (Japan) - 15:48.73
Caroline Chepkoech (Kenya) - 15:49.1
Agnes Chebet (Kenya) - 15:49.6
Aminata Olowoora (Nigeria) - 15:57.28
Fikadu Tsegay (Eritrea) - 15:59.96
Xufeng Wu (China) - 16:03.00

Women's 3000 m
Miyuki Uehara (Japan) - 9:06.91
Emelia Gorecka (Great Britain) - 9:10.31
Laura Muir (Great Britain) - 9:12.80
Misuzu Nakahara (Japan) - 9:15.04
Habtamnesh Tesfaye (Ethiopia) - 9:15.22
Mercy Chepwogen (Kenya) - 9:16.76
Hiwot Mesfin (Ethiopia) - 9:16.86
Brillian Jepkorir Kipkoech (Kenya) - 9:16.76
Mariia Khodakivska (Ukraine) - 9:17.64
Jip Vastenburg (Netherlands) - 9:21.34

Women's 1500 m
Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon (Kenya) - 4:03.82
Nancy Chepkwemoi (Kenya) - 4:09.41
Senbere Teferi (Ethiopia) - 4:10.49
Alem Ambaye (Ethiopia) - 4:13.7
Luula Berhane Kebedom (Eritrea)- 4:14.11
Sofia Ennaoui (Poland) - 4:14.73
Mary Cain (U.S.A.) - 4:14.74
Jessica Judd (Great Britain) - 4:15.12
Jennifer Walsh (Great Britain) - 4:15.53
Amela Terzic (Serbia) - 4:15.90
-----
Saki Yoshimizu (Japan) - 4:19.89

Women's 800 m
Anastasiya Tkachuk (Ukraine) - 2:00.78
Jessica Judd (Great Britain) - 2:01.09
Monique Stander (South Africa) - 2:02.57
Ajee Wilson (U.S.A.) - 2:02.61
Manal el Bahraoui (Morocco) - 2:03.03
Simonya Cambell (Jamaica) - 2:03.07
Desreen Montague (Jamaica) - 2:03.18
Emily Dudgeon (Great Britain) - 2:03.28
Olena Sidorska (Ukraine) - 2:03.69
Julia Zrinyi (Canada) - 2:04.38
-----
Akiho Fukuzato (Japan) - 2:05.51
Mizuki Yamamoto (Japan) - 2:05.78

Women's 3000 mSC
Evdokiya Bukina (Russia) - 10:05.73
Daisy Chepkemei (Kenya) - 10:06.6
Stella Ruto (Kenya) - 10:07.4
Maya Rehberg (Germany) - 10:09.23
Pippa Woolven (Great Britain) - 10:11.86
Yabsera Betaw (Ethiopia) - 10:14.75
Tejinesh Gebisa (Ethiopia) - 10:16.93
Oona Kettunen (Finland) - 10:17.15
Brianna Nerud (U.S.A.) - 10:19.91
Belene Casetta (Argentina) - 10:21.17

Men

Men's 10000 m
Geoffrey Kirui (Kenya) - 27:08.44
Kenta Murayama (Japan) - 28:17.57
Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (Eritrea) - 28:33.37
Philemon Kipchilis Cheboi (Kenya) - 28:36.8
Yigream Demelash (Ethiopia) - 28:39.97
Moses Martin Kurong (Uganda) - 28:46.91
Kende Atenaw (Ethiopia) - 28:48.53
Ken Yokote (Japan) - 28:57.31
Rahul Kumar Pal (India) - 29:29.80
Zakaria Boudad (Morocco) - 29:44.01

Men's 5000 m
Muktar Edris (Ethiopia) - 13:06.92
Abrar Osman Adem (Eritrea) - 13:17.32
Soufiyan Bouqantar (Morocco) - 13:19.59
Goitom Kifle (Eritrea) - 13:22.92
William Malel Sitonik (Kenya) - 13:25.82
Tsegay Tuemay (Eritrea) - 13:29.36
Moses Mukono (Kenya) - 13:42.75
Kirubel Erassa (U.S.A.) - 13:47.26
Younes Essalhi (Morocco) - 13:49.21
Kota Murayama (Japan) - 13:51.61
-----
Kazuma Taira (Japan) - 13:57.65

Men's 1500 m
Hamza Driouch (Qatar) - 3:33.69
Teshome Dirirsa (Ethiopia) - 3:34.55
Teklit Teweldebrhan (Eritrea) - 3:36.50
Abdelhadi Labali (Morocco) - 3:37.59
Mohammed Abid (Morocco) - 3:38.39
Federico Brune (Argentina) - 3:40.86
Austin Mudd (U.S.A.) - 3:40.87
Dominic Mutuku (Kenya) - 3:40.94
Hillary Cheruiyot Ngetich (Kenya) - 3:40.96
Charlie Grice (Great Britain) - 3:41.16
-----
Yusuke Uchikoshi (Japan) - 3:46.74

Men's 800 m
Nijel Amos (Botswana) - 1:43.11
Timoty Kitum (Kenya) - 1:43.94
Wesley Vazquez (Puerto Rico) - 1:45.63
Mark English (Ireland) - 1:45.77
Sho Kawamoto (Japan) - 1:46.89
Thapelo Madiba (South Africa) - 1:46.92
Zan Rudolf (Slovenia) - 1:46.98
Jena Omer (Ethiopia) - 1:47.03
Radouane Baaziri (Morocco) - 1:47.11
Brandon McBride (Canada) - 1:47.14
-----
Shota Kozuma (Japan) - 1:49.37

Men's 3000 mSC
Conseslus Kipruto (Kenya) - 8:08.92
Gilbert Kiplangat Kirui (Kenya) - 8:11.27
Jaouad Chemlal (Morocco) - 8:25.98
Weynay Ghebresilasie (Eritrea) - 8:28.97
Hicham Sigueni (Morocco) - 8:30.03
Ahmed Mohammed Burhan (Saudi Arabia) - 8:35.28
Zak Seddon (Great Britain) - 8:38.07
Djilali Bedrani (France) - 8:42.67
Animut Minalu (Ethiopia) - 8:44.68
Meresa Kahsay (Ethiopia) - 8:45.01

(c) 2012 Brett Larner
all rights reserved

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