Yoshihiko Saito Explained

Kazuhiko Yamazaki
Nationality:	Japanese
Birth Place:	Tomioka, Gunma, Japan
Alma Mater:	Hosei University
Country:	Japan
Sport:	Track and field
Event:	400 metres hurdles
Pb:	400 m: 46.43 (1993) 400 m hurdles: 48.64 (1998)

is a retired Japanese athlete who specialized in the 400 metres hurdles. He was the first Asian to run under 49 seconds in the event.^[1]

With a personal best time of 48.64 seconds, achieved in October 1998 in Kumamoto, he is a former Asian record holder. The Asian record currently belongs to Hadi Soua'an Al-Somaily with 47.53 seconds,^[2] and the Japanese record to Dai Tamesue.

International competitions

Representing
1990	Asian Junior Championships	Beijing, China	bgcolor=gold	1st	400 m hurdles	50.89
			bgcolor=gold	1st	relay	3:12.47
	World Junior Championships	Plovdiv, Bulgaria	bgcolor=silver	2nd	400 m hurdles	49.99
			7th	relay	3:07.58
1991	Universiade	Sheffield, United Kingdom	2nd	400 m hurdles	50.02
			4th	relay	3:07.82
	World Championships	Tokyo, Japan	19th (h)	400 m hurdles	49.89
	Asian Championships	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	1st	400 m hurdles	50.46
			1st	relay	3:05.22
1992	Olympic Games	Barcelona, Spain	9th (h)	400 m hurdles	49.01
			7th (h)	relay	3:01.35
1993	World Indoor Championships	Toronto, Canada	3rd	relay	3:07.30
	Universiade	Buffalo, United States	2nd	400 m hurdles	49.61
			2nd	relay	3:07.82
	World Championships	Stuttgart, Germany	16th (h)	400 m hurdles	49.43
			11th (h)	relay	3:02.43
1994	Asian Games	Hiroshima, Japan	2nd	400 m hurdles	49.13
			4th	relay	3:10.91
1995	World Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	24th (h)	400 m hurdles	49.91
			8th (h)	relay	3:01.46
	Universiade	Fukuoka, Japan	3rd	400 m hurdles	49.18
			4th	relay	3:02.51
1997	East Asian Games	Busan, South Korea	2nd	400 m hurdles	50.41
			1st	relay	3:04.35
	World Championships	Athens, Greece	19th (sf)	400 m hurdles	49.60
1998	Asian Games	Bangkok, Thailand	2nd	400 m hurdles	49.94

National titles

• Japanese Championships
  • 400 metres hurdles

1992, 1993, 1995, 1998

Personal bests

• 400 metres – 46.43 (Maebashi 1993)
• 400 metres hurdles – 48.64 (Kumamoto 1998)

Asian record holder

• 400 metres hurdles – 48.68 (Tokyo 1993): Former Asian record

See also

• List of Asian Games medalists in athletics

Notes and References

1. Web site: 日本選手権の好勝負 ―オリンピック選考会の激闘（その１）. 7 June 2016. JAAF. 3 November 2020. Japanese.
2. http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/records/gender=M/location=O/recordsType=AR/eventCatCode=/junior=N/area=ASI/index.html IAAF Area Outdoor Records - Men - Asia