Yoshihiko Saito

Kazuhiko Yamazaki

Personal information
Nationality	Japanese
Born	12 February 1972 (1972-02-12) (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)
hide 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

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