July 22, 2008
Local residents Lidia Simon, Luminita Talpos, and Constantina Tomescu-Dita won the 2008 Bolder Boulder 10K International Team Challenge. Now, the three Romanian marathoners will try to repeat their success at the Beijing Olympic Games.
The three are among the nine Beijing Olympians represented by Boulder Wave, Inc., the Boulder-based sports agency and altitude training coordinators. The athletes are qualified at 800m, 3,000m Steeplechase, 5,000m, 10,000m, and the marathon.
2008 Boulder Wave Olympians
Olga Cristea (Moldova) – Women’s 800m – 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships 800m Gold Medalist
Minori Hayakari (Japan) – women’s 3,000m Steeplechase – Four-time Japanese National Champion in the event; former Asian recordholder; holds Japan national record of 9:38.68
Yoshitaka Iwamizu (Japan) – men’s 3,000m Steeplechase – Seven-time Japanese National Champion in the event; holds Japan national record of 8:18.93
Yuriko Kobayashi (Japan) – Women’s 5,000m – next great superstar of Japanese running, still only 19 years old. Won 2008 Japan National Championships 5000m with 2:53 final 1,000m; World’s fastest junior woman for 1500m in 2006 with 4:07.86 National Record; 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships 1500m Bronze Medalist; Won an IAAF Grand Prix event for the first time this Spring with 1500m win in Osaka
Takayuki Matsumiya (Japan) – Men’s 5,000m and 10,000m – 2006, 2007, 2008 Japan National Champion in 5,000m and 10,000m; set 5,000m NR of 13:13.20 at 2007 KBC Night of Athletics in Belgium; became third-fastest in Japanese history with 27:41.75 at 2008 Payton Jordan Invitational 10,000m
Yurika Nakamura (Japan) – Women’s marathon – 21-year old won 2008 Nagoya Marathon in Japan with a debut of 2:25:51, running the second half in 71:08, with a 33:15 split from 30K to 40K
Lidia Simon (Romania/Boulder) – Women’s marathon – 2000 Sydney Olympic Games marathon Silver Medalist; 2001 IAAF Edmonton World Championships Gold Medalist; three times champion Osaka International Ladies Marathon; 5th Place 2007 IAAF Osaka World Championships marathon; Four-time medalist at the IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships; two-time (1997 and 1999) Bronze Medalist at the IAAF World Championships Marathon.
Luminita Talpos (Romania/Longmont) – Women’s marathon – 2007 and 2008 Champion of Vienna City Marathon; top three finishes in 13 of 14 races run in 2007 and 2008; 3rd place in 2008 Bolder Boulder 10K
Constantina Tomescu-Dita (Romania/Erie) – Women’s marathon – 2005 IAAF Helsinki World Championships marathon Bronze Medalist; Gold, Silver, Bronze Medalist in IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships; three-times top three at Flora London Marathon; three times top three at LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon; Romanian marathon recordholder with 2:21:30
In addition to the three Romanian women who are residents of the area, Yurika Nakamura, Yoshitaka Iwamizu, Yuriko Kobayashi, and Minori Hayakari have all come to Boulder at various times in the past year to train at altitude.
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Boulder Wave was founded in 1993 to organize altitude-training camps for elite athletes coming to train in Boulder, Colorado. From 1998, the company also began to work as representatives for world-class and developing track and field athletes. At the 9 Olympic Games and IAAF World Championships since 1996, women either represented by Boulder Wave or for whom the company arranged altitude training have won 8 marathon medals. In addition to this marathon success, at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Boulder Wave athlete Maria Cioncan of Romania won the women’s 1500m bronze medal. The company represents about 30 international athletes, including Superior’s Justin Young, currently the second-fastest American marathoner of 2008.
Each year the company arranges altitude training for 150-200 athletes, mainly in Boulder, but also in Albuquerque, St. Moritz, and other locations.
Boulder Wave, Inc., is located at 1320 Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado. We can be contacted at Tel/Fax +1-303-554-0597, or via e-mail at info@boulderwave.com. The company website is www.boulderwave.com
