Speaking to the Asian press after his 200m breaststroke race where he registered a time of 2:09.96 for 5th place, the 33-year-old is quoted as saying, “It’s over. I knew my career would end in Rio or here in Tokyo this week. I’ve got no regrets.”
Earlier in the meet, Kitajima finished 2nd in the 100m breaststroke, but was only able to dip beneath that event’s Olympic-qualifying mark in the semi’s. Per the Japanese Federation’s Olympic-qualifying criteria, that wasn’t enough for Kitajima to make his historic 5th Olympic Games.
Back in May of last year Kitajima alluded that he would retire after Rio after already reigning as consecutive Olympic champion in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke events across the Athens and Beijing Olympic Games. In 2010 he swept the breaststrokes at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California. It was in 2011 that he would earn his last individual medal on an international scale: a silver in the 200m breaststroke at the World Championships in Shanghai.
Below is one Asian news source’s social media announcement of Kitajima’s retirement:
https://t.co/x29vX7UVdZ#北島康介 選手が８日、現役引退を表明。男子２００メートル決勝で５位となり、５大会連続の五輪出場を逃しました。（長） pic.twitter.com/wTWJRaalrH
— 朝日新聞 映像報道部 (@asahi_photo) April 8, 2016
This guy is a cheating weasel. If FINA had just DQed him instead of changing the rules to save face it would have prevented the breaststroke rule breaking we have now. How can commenters on here praise him? I guess Bobo and PVK think Barry Bonds is the best baseball player of all time and Lance Armstrong the greatest cyclist.
As a last comment, I don’t know a single fan of this sport who thinks it’s GOOD that Kitajima, Agnel, Matsuda, et al won’t be competing in Rio.
Aside from any controversies past or present, can we all appreciate that:
1. Kosuke Kitajima just swam 59.6, which is probably the fastest anyone over the age of 30 has ever done.
2. In an age of jacked-up giants (in 2012, the shortest olympic free champ was 6’5), Kitajima was competitive, and at times dominant, at 5’10 and 160 lbs.
3. He’s been near at or near the top of the sport for SIXTEEN years.
Greatest of all time??? Whaaaat? Fina had to change a rule because he was illegal!! Certainly an amazing athlete yes.
You are confusing Kitajima with Cameron van Der burgh.
FINA changed the rule in 2013.
Seriously people, is it very hard to tell which one is the Japanese and which one is South African?
FINA allowed ZERO dolphin kicks underwater when Kitajima won gold in 2004. If you watch the video, he did an obvious illegal kick-out.
That technically should have DQ’ed him, but the officials didn’t call it*. A year or so later, FINA said “OK, since so many swimmers are taking an underwater kick, we’ll allow one – JUST ONE – underwater kick”. Anyone with a brain would tell you that breaststrokers would then try to take 2 or 3 underwater kicks, but it was too late.
* For what it’s worth, Aaron Peirsol DQed on one of his turns at the Athens games, but it was reversed on appeal. It’s hard to take away olympic gold for a minor infraction…
I work to emulate kitajima’s breaststroke every day. It’s so smooth and pure. The underwater video that Bobo posted of his 200 at Japanese trials in ’08 is like my bible. Poetry.
Disappointed we won’t get the chance to watch him race in Rio. I still struggle to see any benefits from countries with such monumental qualification requirements like Japan and now France. How is Japan better off not letting a national figure like Kitajima compete in a final Olympics?
Especially since (I think) he met the qualifications time in the semis.
The rule states that swimmer must swim QT in the final.
Japanese are anal in following rules especially the ones they made themselves.
France did not have monumental qualification requirements. We bring everyone who swam FINA A as well as those who didn’t but we need for relays. You don’t believe me? Just have a look at the list of the swimmers we bring to Rio and see what times they swam at the trials.
It was all facade and pretense, but good for the drama, at least there was a lot of drama here at Swimswam.
Well, in all fairness – France did impose monumental requirements, but included a way to back-peddle if they wanted to (which they did.)
And the drama wasn’t only here at Swim Swam. Many french athletes were included in the disappointment and drama of the standards.
Great career.
Blatant cheater who came back to his competitors once the playing field was leveled
And you are an ignorant.
After Athens 100 breast (where there was such controversy), he still won the 200 in Athens without any controversy. He also won golds in 2007 Melbourne and 2008 Beijing as well as silvers in 2005 Montreal without any controversy.
I think you are confusing Kitajima with Van Der Burgh.
See my comment below in response to Howie.
Gold Medal Mel Stewart comments on his technique
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVkPyLQ1Txs