View source for Naoko Takahashi

{{MedalTableTop|medals=
{{Medal|Sport | Women’s [[Track and field athletics|Athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Country | {{JPN}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |  [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]] | [[Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics|Marathon]]}}
}}

{{Japanese name|Takahashi}}
{{nihongo|'''Naoko Takahashi'''|高橋 尚子|Takahashi Naoko|extra=born May 6, 1972}} is a [[Japan]]ese [[Sportsperson|athlete]].  She is best known as a long-distance runner competing mainly in the [[marathon]].

In 2008, she retired from racing.<ref name="afp">[http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jJzTas1jqKOKAL6WfX3S6DGW0msA "Sydney marathon champion Takahashi to retire,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202092736/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jJzTas1jqKOKAL6WfX3S6DGW0msA |date=2008-12-02 }} ''Agence France-Presse'' (AFP). 28 October 2008; retrieved 2012-7-20.</ref>

==Early life==
Takahashi was not a successful runner in high school.  She improved after she graduated from college.<ref name="iaaf">International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), 
[http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=48158.html  "Takahashi, Marathon barrier-breaker, announces retirement,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201175122/http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=48158.html |date=2008-12-01 }} 29 October 2008; retrieved 2012-7-20.</ref>

==International competitions==
===Timeline===
* '''1997''': 5000m World Championships, 13th<ref name="iaaf"/>
* '''1997''': Osaka International Women's Marathon, 7th place
* '''1998''': Nagoya International Women's Marathon, 1st place, Japanese record at the time<ref name="sr">Sports Reference.com (SR/Olympics), [https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ta/naoko-takahashi-1.html "Naoko Takahashi"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120054140/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ta/naoko-takahashi-1.html |date=2008-11-20 }}; retrieved 2012-7-20.</ref>
* '''1998''': Bangkok [[Asian Games]], gold medal, Japanese record at the time<ref name="sr"/>
* '''2000''': Nagoya International Women's Marathon, 1st place
* '''2000''': Sydney Olympics, gold medal, current Olympic record<ref name="sr"/>
* '''2001''': OHME Marathon (30&nbsp;km), Japanese record at the time
* '''2001''': Berlin Marathon, 1st place, World Record at the time<ref name="afp"/>
* '''2002''': Berlin Marathon, 1st<ref name="iaaf"/>
* '''2003''': Tokyo International Women's Marathon, 2nd<ref name="iaaf"/>
* '''2005''': Tokyo International Women's Marathon, 1st<ref name="iaaf"/>
* '''2006''': Tokyo International Women's Marathon, 3rd<ref name="iaaf"/>
* '''2008''': Nagoya Marathon, 27th<ref name="iaaf"/>

==Related pages ==
* [[Sports in Japan]]
* [[Japan at the Olympics]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Other websites==
{{Commons category-inline|Naoko Takahashi}}
* [http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/letter=0/athcode=115555/index.html  Takahashi Naoko at IAAF]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Takahashi, Naoko}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Japan]]