You may run fast but you ain't Japanese!

[Bucky]

It seems the school cuts no slack to fast runners.

Kenyan runner Wysela Wylim, a member of the winning 2008 National Girls' High School Ekiden Marathon team, returned to her native country on Thursday after she was expelled from school following a lengthy absence.

Wylim, 18, was a student at Toyokawa High School in Aichi Prefecture when she returned to visit family in Kenya in January 2009. According to her guardian in Japan, Wylim's family was the target of a robbery in which Wylim's passport was stolen, which delayed her return to Japan until April 20, 2009. During this time, Wylim's school in Japan decided to hold her back a year. However, after she failed to meet the yearly attendance requirements following her delayed return, the school decided to expel her.

After expulsion, Wylim continued living with her guardian in Japan. Unable to raise money for a lawyer, she gave up on appealing to have the school's decision overturned in court. With the school no longer providing sponsorship, when Wylim's legal period of stay expired in September last year, she was no longer able to legally live in Japan. She then went to the Nagoya Regional Immigration Bureau in February to apply for special permission to stay in Japan, but was detained on the spot.

An official from the Kenyan Embassy visited Toyokawa High School on April 2 this year to protest the expulsion and seek re-enrollment of Wylim, but the school refused. A spokesman from the embassy complained angrily that Wylim's life has been completely turned upside-down.

I also found this assessment of the news coverage of their championship win:

The 5 girls from Toyokawa High School of Aichi Prefecture made their school`s third appearance in the 19th annual race a big one, winning in 1:07:37. Kojokan High School of Okayama Prefecture took 2nd, improving from last years 3rd place. Local favorite and defending champion Ritsumeikan Uji High School of Kyoto came in 3rd. Fourth went to Suma Gakuen High School of Hyogo Prefecture.

Sadly, the winning Toyokawa team did not get much basking in the media limelight of the national TV broadcast, because their anchor runner, Wysela Wylim, was not Japanese-born. The media attention was on the girls who challenged her. Almost no mention was made of the runner who set the only girls record of the day, for the same reason. Felista Wanjugu moved her team from 32nd to 14th in the final stage, cutting 28 seconds from the record.

I guess you could call this subtle racism.

[Pixe]

[Kaiju]

[Mulboyne]

[BO-SENSEI]

I seriously doubt that Ryo Ishikawa was able to meet the minimum attendance requirements and he was allowed to graduate, but then again he is famous, rich, and Japanese, so clearly the rules could be bent for him. It is an absolute shame that the school couldn't be more understanding to the family's troubles of getting robbed.

[bolt_krank]

But using foreigners in Ekiden has always pissed off its fair share of chrysanthemums.

[Coligny]

But using foreigners in Ekiden has always pissed off its fair share of chrysanthemums.

Yeah... that's also why they always finish last...
At least we got that stuff right (except for pussy sports like fencing) we take and glorify anybody who whish to play for us. It's like the foreign legion extended to sports... play for us, get a passport and muney, and commercial deals to have your picture on every bus stop so the cop don't beat the crap out of you by mistake.

[bolt_krank]

Yeah - quickest way to get an immigration application approved is to be good at a sport.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

I am inclined to agree with Mulboyne in this case. It is not uncommon for Japanese high schools to fail kids because of their poor attendance records, even when there are legitimate mitigating circumstances. There does seem to be more about the story than meets the eye on what we know at the moment.
Whatever way, I hope she gets a chance to complete her education.