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. The youngest participant dominated the Marathon Grand Championship in October 2023, guaranteeing her selection for Olympic Games in Paris, 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.
Biography Suzuki was born in Nakasen, Akita Prefecture on September 14, 1999, the eldest daughter of educator Shigeki Suzuki and his wife Yasuko. At the age of three she completed a 3-kilometer run without stopping. Suzuki also played basketball as a teenager in her home prefecture of Akita which is famous for its Hoosier Hysteria-like state of basketball fanaticism. After graduating from Omagari High School, she entered Daito Bunka University and gradually became a standout runner. 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.
Achievements Key:
Representing 2018Inter-University Athletics Hiratsuka, Japan 1st 5000m 15:46.84(NGR)2019Matsue Ladies Half Marathon Matsue, Japan 1st Half marathon 1:11:27Universiade Naples, Italy 1st Half marathon 1:14:10Zevenheuvelenloop Nijmegen, Netherlands4th 15 km 48.482021Inter-University Athletics Kumagaya, Japan1st 10000 m32:04.58(NGR) 2022Nagoya Women's Marathon Nagoya, Japan5th Marathon2:25:02(Japanese Collegiate Record) 2023Nagoya Women's Marathon Nagoya, Japan 6th Marathon2:25:46Marathon Grand Championship Tokyo, Japan 1st Marathon2:24:092024Olympic GamesParis, France 6th Marathon2:24:02
References
External links
Yuka Suzuki at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics (archived)