Olympic marathon champion Naoko Takahashi, who left the Sekisui Chemical athletics team in February, is to join the SkyNet Asia Airways team, marathon sources said Saturday.

The 31-year-old Takahashi, gold medalist at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, left Sekisui Chemical following the departure of her coach Yoshio Koide and had been looking for a personal sponsorship deal.

An official announcement will be made in Miyazaki Prefecture, the airline company's base, on Monday.