人間界日記（アカシックレコード）

横浜国際女子駅伝、エチオピアが４年ぶり優勝…日本２位

　横浜国際女子駅伝（読売新聞社など主催、特別協賛・日産自動車）は２４日、横浜赤レンガ倉庫を発着点とする６区間、４２・１９５キロのコースで行われ、エチオピアが２時間１４分４７秒（速報タイム）で４年ぶり２度目の優勝を飾った。

　３年ぶり１０度目の優勝を狙った日本は１分５４秒差で２位。３連覇を目指した３位はロシアだった。

　日本は１区の小林祐梨子（豊田自動織機）が区間賞の走りでトップに立ち、２区の赤羽有紀子（ホクレン）がエチオピアと２４秒差をつけた。３区の湯田友美（ワコール）が３・４キロでエチオピアに抜かれ、５区の勝又美咲（第一生命）がその差を詰めたが、逃げ切られた。

（2008年2月24日14時38分 読売新聞）

Kobayashi focuses on road ahead
Ken Marantz / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter

YOKOHAMA--While she doesn't know where her struggle with a pair of powerful athletics federations will lead, teen Yuriko Kobayashi will have her eyes squarely on the road ahead in today's Yokohama International Women's Ekiden.

Kobayashi will be the lead runner for the Japan national team as it attempts to win its first title in three years and 10th overall in the 25th edition of the race, in which Russia returns as the favorite to win a third straight crown.

"It has had no effect [no my training]," Kobayashi said at Friday's prerace press conference regarding her on-going battle with the All-Japan and East Japan corporate athletics federations, which have both banned her from their events.

"I leave all of that up to my coach. In [Sunday's] ekiden, I won't be thinking about that at all."

Kobayashi, who set the Japan record in the 1,500 meters while a junior in high school, joined the Toyota Industries team upon graduation, but attends Okayama University as part of an in-house scholarship program.

The two federations each ruled that as a full-time student she cannot be regarded as a corporate employee and subsequently allowed her to be registered. The federations refused to allow the Japan Sports Arbitration Agency to mediate the case.

In today's race, Kobayashi will run the opening 5-kilometer leg of the six-leg event that follows a 42.195-km marathon course starting and ending at the Red Brick Warehouse in Yokohama's waterfront Minato Mirai district.

"Even though I'm the youngest [on the team], I want to run with the feeling that I can be a leader," said Kobayashi, who will be running in the Yokohama race for the third straight year.

Along with Kobayashi, Misaki Katsumata returns from the Japan team that finished third last year behind Russia and the United States, which has sent a weaker squad this year.

Also in the lineup is Yukiko Akaba, who came back from giving birth this summer to anchor the winning Japan team in October's Chiba International Ekiden, Tomomi Yuda, Kazue Kojima and Mika Yoshikawa.

Yuda anchored the Kyoto team that won the national interprefectural title earlier this month, while Yoshikawa dethroned Kobayashi as national 1,500 champ last June.

Russia has four members back from its 2007 winning team in Inga Abitova, Maria Konovalova, Lilia Shobukhova and Olesya Syreva.

Ethiopia and Morocco are also expected to be in the title chase among the field of seven national teams and seven Japanese regional squads.

(Feb. 24, 2008)