Yasunori Uchitomi

Yasunori Uchitomi (; born 29 October 1972), is a Japanese former long-distance runner who specialized in the 3000 meters steeplechase. His personal best for the event is 8:26.48 minutes, set in 1997.

He was one of Japan's top steeplechasers during his career, taking three titles at the Japan Championships in Athletics and six at the Japanese National Games. His greatest achievement was a gold medal at the 1998 Asian Games, having won bronze four years earlier. He was twice a medalist at the Asian Athletics Championships (silver in 1998, bronze in 2003). He had much success at the East Asian Games, winning back-to-back titles in 1997 to 2001 with games record times before finally taking silver in 2005 (his last international performance).

Uchitomi also represented Japan at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 1999 and was a corporate team runner for Chugoku Electric Power Company, winning several Japan corporate titles.

Career Uchitomi established himself at the national level in 1993 when he won the 1500 metres title at the Japanese National Games. then went on to take his first major medal at the 1994 Asian Games, held in Hiroshima. He won the national title in the steeplechase for the first time in 1995. He retained that title the following year with a personal best run of 8:30.16 minutes and also took the Japanese Games title that year. A steeplechase gold medal at the 1997 East Asian Games in a games record marked his first international title in the sport. His run of success in the steeplechase continued into 1998. First, he took the silver medal at the 1998 Asian Athletics Championships in Fukuoka, finishing behind Saudi Arabia's Saad Al-Asmari. At the FBK Games in Hengelo he ran the second-fastest time of his career at 8:28.04 minutes. He was runner-up at the Japanese Championships that year, He won the corporate steeplechase title for a second year running but was again runner-up at the national championships. He showed strong form at the 2002 Japanese Championships with a run of 8:30.52 minutes behind Iwamizu. He ended the year with victories at the corporate championships and the Japanese Games. Japan Championships in Athletics (4 titles) 1500 metres: 1993 3000 m steeplechase: 1995, 1996, 2000

Personal bests 1500 metres – 3:43.13 min (1997) 3000 metres – 7:56.53 min (1998) 5000 metres – 13:37.80 min (2001) 10,000 metres – 28:55.00 min (2000) Half marathon – 62:52 min (2003) 3000 metres steeplechase – 8:26.48 min (1997)