Yoshihiko Saito

Kazuhiko Yamazaki

Personal information
Nationality	Japanese
Born	12 February 1972 (age 49) Tomioka, Gunma, Japan
Alma mater	Hosei University
Sport
Country	Japan
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	400 metres hurdles
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	400 m: 46.43 (1993) 400 m hurdles: 48.64 (1998)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing Japan World Indoor Championships 1993 Toronto 4×400 m relay Asian Games 1994 Hiroshima 400 m hurdles 1998 Bangkok 400 m hurdles Asian Championships 1991 Kuala Lumpur 400 m hurdles 1991 Kuala Lumpur 4×400 m relay East Asian Games 1997 Busan 4×400 m relay 1997 Busan 400 m hurdles Universiade 1991 Sheffield 400 m hurdles 1993 Buffalo 400 m hurdles 1993 Buffalo 4×400 m relay 1995 Fukuoka 400 m hurdles World Junior Championships 1990 Plovdiv 400 m hurdles Asian Junior Championships 1990 Beijing 400 m hurdles 1990 Beijing 4×400 m relay

Yoshihiko Saito (斎藤 嘉彦, Saitō Yoshihiko, born 12 February 1972 in Tomioka, Gunma) is a retired Japanese athlete who specialized in the 400 metres hurdles. He was the first Asian to run under 49 seconds in the event.^[1]

With a personal best time of 48.64 seconds, achieved in October 1998 in Kumamoto, he is a former Asian record holder. The Asian record currently belongs to Hadi Soua'an Al-Somaily with 47.53 seconds,^[2] and the Japanese record to Dai Tamesue.

International competitions

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing Japan
1990	Asian Junior Championships	Beijing, China	1st	400 m hurdles	50.89
			1st	4×400 m relay	3:12.47
	World Junior Championships	Plovdiv, Bulgaria	2nd	400 m hurdles	49.99
			7th	4×400 m relay	3:07.58
1991	Universiade	Sheffield, United Kingdom	2nd	400 m hurdles	50.02
			4th	4×400 m relay	3:07.82
	World Championships	Tokyo, Japan	19th (h)	400 m hurdles	49.89
	Asian Championships	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	1st	400 m hurdles	50.46
			1st	4×400 m relay	3:05.22
1992	Olympic Games	Barcelona, Spain	9th (h)	400 m hurdles	49.01
			7th (h)	4×400 m relay	3:01.35
1993	World Indoor Championships	Toronto, Canada	3rd	4×400 m relay	3:07.30
	Universiade	Buffalo, United States	2nd	400 m hurdles	49.61
			2nd	4×400 m relay	3:07.82
	World Championships	Stuttgart, Germany	16th (h)	400 m hurdles	49.43
			11th (h)	4×400 m relay	3:02.43
1994	Asian Games	Hiroshima, Japan	2nd	400 m hurdles	49.13
			4th	4×400 m relay	3:10.91
1995	World Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	24th (h)	400 m hurdles	49.91
			8th (h)	4×400 m relay	3:01.46
	Universiade	Fukuoka, Japan	3rd	400 m hurdles	49.18
			4th	4×400 m relay	3:02.51
1997	East Asian Games	Busan, South Korea	2nd	400 m hurdles	50.41
			1st	4×400 m relay	3:04.35
	World Championships	Athens, Greece	19th (sf)	400 m hurdles	49.60
1998	Asian Games	Bangkok, Thailand	2nd	400 m hurdles	49.94

National titles

• Japanese Championships
  • 400 metres hurdles: 1992, 1993, 1995, 1998

Personal bests

• 400 metres – 46.43 (Maebashi 1993)
• 400 metres hurdles – 48.64 (Kumamoto 1998)

Asian record holder

• 400 metres hurdles – 48.68 (Tokyo 1993): Former Asian record

See also

• List of Asian Games medalists in athletics

References

External links

• Yoshihiko Saito at World Athletics