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Atsushi Sato to Take Over as Head Coach at Kyocera

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20140202-00000067-jij-spo
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translated and edited by Brett Larner

Having retired in December, 2009 World Championships marathon 6th-placer and half marathon national record holder Atsushi Sato (35, Team Chugoku Denryoku) announced Feb. 2 that he will become head coach of the Kyocera corporate women's team this spring.  Sato is the all-time fourth-fastest Japanese marathoner, with a best of 2:07:13, and ran the 2008 Beijing Olympics marathon.  He retired last year following December's Fukuoka International Marathon.  For some time he has been on leave from the Chugoku Denryoku company, training and working to develop local athletics in his native Fukushima.  Previous Kyocera head coach Yasunori Niihara passed away on Dec. 20 due to an illness.

Also announced was that Sato's wife, 800 m national record holder and Olympian Miho Sato, will join the team's staff as assistant coach.  The Kyocera team will also relocate from Kyoto to Kirishima, Kagoshima, its first major move in 14 years.

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