Naoko Takahashi's bid for a second straight Olympic gold in women's marathon was crushed when she failed to qualify for the Athens Olympics, the Japan Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) said on Monday.
Marathon star Naoko Takahashi faces reporters in Tokyo after the 2000 gold medalist failed to qualify for the national women's marathon team in this summer's Athens Olympics.
The JAAF said the women's national team will feature Naoko Sakamoto, 23, Reiko Tosa, 27, and Mizuki Noguchi, 25. Masako Chiba, the reigning world bronze medalist, will serve as a reserve who is able to replace any runner but only for health reasons.