Middle-distance specialist Tanaka Nozomi clinched her fourth straight national crown in the women’s 5,000 meters at Japan’s Track and Field Championships on Thursday, crossing the line in 14 minutes 59.02 seconds. The 25-year-old New Balance athlete sliced more than two seconds off the meet record, dipped under 15 minutes for the first time at the event and, having already met the entry standard, sealed automatic selection for September’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Day-one action at the National Stadium also produced strong sprint performances. Koike Yuki led the men’s 100-meter semifinals in 10.16 seconds, while fellow sub-10 sprinter Kiryu Yoshihide advanced with a 10.21. National record holder Ryota Yamagata was eliminated after clocking 10.31. In the field events, Mano Tomohiro cleared 2.29 meters to regain the men’s high-jump title for the first time in three years, although the mark fell short of the 2.33 -meter world standard. Women’s pole-vaulter Kobayashi Mizuki captured her first senior national title with a 4.31-meter clearance, setting a Japanese collegiate record.