is a Japanese long-distance runner, who specializes in the 5000, 10,000 metres and marathon. Fukushi represented Japan at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. She was the bronze medallist in the marathon at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics. She holds a marathon best of 2:22:17 hours. Fukushi won two silver medals at the 2002 Asian Games and then won the 10,000 m gold medal at the 2006 edition. She is a former world record holder in the 15 km road race and is the Japanese record holder in the 5000 m, 10,000 m, and 10K road distance. Fukushi is also a six-time national champion over the 5000 m. In addition, she has run more sub 34 minute 10,000 m runs in competition than any other woman in the world (as of 2014 this mark stands at 44). She was chosen as the torch lighter for the 2003 Asian Winter Games which was held in Aomori Prefecture, her home region. Career Early career Fukushi was fourth over 5000 m at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics and had a breakout year two years later. After a fifteenth-place finish in the senior section of the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, she broke national junior records (over 3000 m, 5000 m and 10,000 m) and then went on to record an out-right national record of 8:44.40 minutes in the 3000 m that July. At the 2002 Asian Games she took a silver medal double in the 5000/10,000 m, finishing behind Sun Yingjie on both occasions. Olympic debut and Asian gold Continuing to focus on track running, she ran at her first senior global track competition in 2003. She was eleventh in the 5000 m at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics, but had less success on her Olympic debut as she finished 26th in the 10,000 m at the 2004 Athens Games. She doubled up at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics, coming near the top ten in both long-distance track events. On February 5, 2006 at the Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon she broke the 15-kilometre road running record by running the distance in 46:55 minutes. Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia improved the record to 46:28 minutes in 2009. During the race in Marugame she also set the Asian record in the half marathon. She had more success on home turf soon after with a win at the Fukuoka International