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. She is good at running uphills.[8][9]
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Native name | 鈴木優花 | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | 14 September 1999 Nakasen, Akita (Daisen, Akita) | |||||||||||||||||
| 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
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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 3-kilometer run without stopping.[10] The teenager girl also played basketball[10] as her home prefecture Akita is famous for its Hoosier Hysteria-like state of excitement.[11] After graduating from Omagari High School, she entered Daito Bunka University and gradually became a standout.[12]Suzuki was the Japanese marathon college record holder, with a time of 2:25:02 achieved on 13 March 2022 at the Nagoya Women's Marathon, and it was her very first 42.195 km distance cruise.[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 | Marathon | ||
