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Shinji Takahira

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Shinji Takahira
Takahira in 2007
Personal information
Born (1984-07-18) 18 July 1984 (age 40)
Asahikawa, Japan
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight60 kg (132 lb)
Sport
Country Japan
SportAthletics
Event200 metres
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Japan
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2008 Beijing 4×100 m
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Guangzhou 4×100 m
Silver medal – second place 2009 Guangzhou 200 m

Shinji Takahira (高平 慎士, Takahira Shinji, born 18 July 1984 in Asahikawa) is a Japanese sprinter who specialises in the 100 and 200 metres.[1]

Takahira competed in the 200 m at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2005 World Championships but failed to progress beyond the heats. He took the silver medal at the 2005 Summer Universiade. He represented Japan in his home country at the 2007 Osaka World Championships and reached the quarter-finals of the 200 m event.[2]

Takahira represented Japan at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He competed at the 4x100 metres relay together with Naoki Tsukahara, Shingo Suetsugu and Nobuharu Asahara. In their qualification heat they placed second in behind Trinidad and Tobago, but in front of the Netherlands and Brazil. Their time of 38.52 was the third fastest out of sixteen participating nations in the first round and they qualified for the final. There they sprinted to a time of 38.15 seconds, the third time after the Jamaican and Trinidad teams, winning the bronze medal.[1] However, in January 2017, Jamaica's medal was revoked due to one of their athletes proven to have been doping; this meant that Japan now moved up to a silver medal. He also took part in the 200 metres individual. In his first round heat he placed fourth in a time of 20.58 seconds, outside the direct qualifiers. His time was however among the best losing times, securing his second round spot. In the second round he came to a time of 20.63 seconds and was eliminated as he only placed seventh in the heat.[1]

Takahira made a good start to the 2009 season, finishing second and recording a new 200 m best of 20.31 s at the 2009 Osaka Grand Prix. He felt spurred on by running against American athlete Rodney Martin and stated that he hoped to make the semis or final of the forthcoming Berlin World Championships.[3] He won the 200 m at the Japanese Championships, breaking his personal best with a run of 20.22 seconds. This was the third-fastest time ever run in Japan, and Takahira said "I was secretly hoping for Suetsugu’s (national) record".[4][5]

Achievements

Competition record

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  Japan
2002 World Junior Championships Kingston, Jamaica 7th 4×100m relay 40.05
2003 Universiade Daegu, South Korea 1st 4x100 m relay 39.45
4th 4x400 m relay 3:05.97
2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece 40th (h) 200 m 21.05
4th 4x100 m relay 38.49
2005 World Championships Helsinki, Finland 33rd (h) 200 m 21.03
8th 4x100 m relay 38.77
Universiade İzmir, Turkey 2nd 200 m 20.93
2nd 4x100 m relay 39.29
2nd (h) 4x400 m relay 3:05.02
East Asian Games Macau 1st 200 m 20.88
1st 4x100 m relay 39.61
2006 World Cup Athens, Greece 3rd 4x100 m relay 38.51[6]
Asian Games Doha, Qatar 3rd 200 m 20.81
2nd 4x100 m relay 39.21
2007 World Championships Osaka, Japan 21st (qf) 200 m 20.77
5th 4x100 m relay 38.03 (AR)
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China 21st (qf) 200 m 20.63
2nd 4x100 m relay 38.15
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 17th (qf) 200 m 20.69
4th 4x100 m relay 38.30
Asian Championships Guangzhou, China 2nd 100 m 10.32
1st 4x100 m relay 39.01
2010 Asian Games Guangzhou, China 10th (h) 4x100 m relay 47.14
2011 Asian Championships Kobe, Japan 1st 4x100 m relay 39.18
World Championships Daegu, South Korea 16th (sf) 200 m 20.90
9th (h) 4x100 m relay 38.66
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 19th (sf) 200 m 20.77
5th 4x100 m relay 38.35
2014 IAAF World Relays Nassau, Bahamas 9th (h) 4x200 m relay 1:23.87
Asian Games Incheon, South Korea 2nd 4x100 m relay 38.49
2nd (h) 4x400 m relay 3:05.53

Personal bests

Event Time Location Date
100 metres 10.20 sec Hiroshima, Japan 29 April 2009
200 metres 20.22 sec Hiroshima, Japan 26 June 2009

References

  1. ^ a b c "Athlete Biography: TAKAHIRA Shinji". Beijing2008.cn. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. Archived from the original on 8 September 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2008.
  2. ^ Takahira Shinji Biography. IAAF. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  3. ^ Nakamura, Ken (9 May 2009). ‘07 World champs Wariner, Clement and Thomas win again in Osaka – IAAF World Athletics Tour. IAAF. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  4. ^ Nakamura, Ken (29 June 2009). Sprinters excel at the Japanese Champs. IAAF. Retrieved on 8 October 2019.
  5. ^ Fukushima breaks 200-meter mark. The Japan Times (27 June 2009). Retrieved on 8 October 2019.
  6. ^ Representing Asia
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