Arab News Japan

Practice and the determination to win was what kept the fire in Akira Aizawa’s belly burning.

The 23-year-old graduate from Gakuho Ishikawa high school in Fukushima Prefecture recently won the men’s 10,000 meter race to set up a new national record at the Japanese athletic championships for long-distance events.

His timing of 27 minutes, 18.75 seconds earned him a place in the Japanese national team for next summer’s Tokyo Olympics. It will be his first Olympic ticket.

“I’m happy to have been assured of a place at the Olympics as I had practiced so far setting my sights on this meet,” Aizawa said.

“I approached the race with a determination never to lose. I would like to achieve good results at the Olympics which would be a step forward toward my ultimate goal of attempting a marathon.”

The race which brought top runners together proceeded at a pace surpassing the old national record of 27:29.69 from beginning to end.

Aizawa clipped as much as 10.94 off the previous record logged in 2015 by Kota Murayama, 27, also belonging to Asahi Kasei. Runner-up Tatsuhiko Ito of Honda Motor Co. finished in 27:25.73, also breaking the Olympic qualifying standard. In third place was Kazuki Tamura, 25, of Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., whose time was 27:28.92. All three smashed the national record.