Yuka Suzuki
Japanese long-distance runner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yuka Suzuki (鈴木 優花, Suzuki Yuka; born 14 September 1999 in Daisen, Akita) is a Japanese long-distance runner. In 2019, she won the gold medals in the women's half marathon at the Summer Universiade held in Naples, Italy.[2] The youngest participant[3] dominated the Marathon Grand Championship in October 2023,[4][5][6] guaranteeing her selection for Olympic Games in Paris,[7] in a personal best time of 2:24:09 which she then subsequently beat in 2024 Paris Olympics by 7 seconds despite the hilly course. She is good at running uphills.[8][9]
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native name | 鈴木優花 | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | 14 September 1999 | |||||||||||||||||
| Education | Nakasen JHS Omagari HS | |||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Daito Bunka University | |||||||||||||||||
| Employer | Dai-ichi Life | |||||||||||||||||
| Height | 165 cm (5 ft 5 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Japan | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Long-distance running | |||||||||||||||||
Event | 1500 metres – Marathon | |||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Sachiko Yamashita | |||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal bests | ||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||
Biography
Suzuki was born in Nakasen, Akita Prefecture on September 14, 1999, the eldest daughter of educator Shigeki Suzuki and his wife Yasuko.[10] At the age of three she completed a 3-kilometer run without stopping.[10] Suzuki also played basketball as a teenager[10] in her home prefecture of Akita which is famous for its Hoosier Hysteria-like state of basketball fanaticism.[11] After graduating from Omagari High School, she entered Daito Bunka University and gradually became a standout runner.[12] Suzuki was the marathon record holder for Japanese university students, with a time of 2:25:02 achieved on 13 March 2022 at the Nagoya Women's Marathon - her very first marathon.[13][14]
Achievements
Key: Personal best
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Japan | |||||
| 2018 | Inter-University Athletics | Hiratsuka, Japan | 1st | 5000m | 15:46.84 (NGR)[15] |
| 2019 | Matsue Ladies Half Marathon | Matsue, Japan | 1st | Half marathon | 1:11:27 |
| Universiade | Naples, Italy | 1st | Half marathon | 1:14:10 | |
| Zevenheuvelenloop | Nijmegen, Netherlands | 4th | 15 km | 48.48 | |
| 2021 | Inter-University Athletics | Kumagaya, Japan | 1st | 10000 m | 32:04.58 (NGR) |
| 2022 | Nagoya Women's Marathon | Nagoya, Japan | 5th | Marathon | 2:25:02 (Japanese Collegiate Record)[16] |
| 2023 | Nagoya Women's Marathon | Nagoya, Japan | 6th | Marathon | 2:25:46 |
| Marathon Grand Championship | Tokyo, Japan | 1st | Marathon | 2:24:09 | |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Paris, France | 6th | Marathon | 2:24:02 |
