Daiya Seto Entered In 200 Breast At Worlds-Qualifying Japan Swim (Men’s Entries)

2023 JAPAN SWIM

• Tuesday, April 4th – Saturday, April 9th
• Tokyo Aquatics Center
• LCM (50m)
• Qualification Meet For World Championships, World Junior Championships, World University Games, Asian Games
• JPN Selection Criteria
• Entries (in Japanese)

The 2023 Japan Swim is on the horizon with the all-important competition scheduled for Tuesday, April 4th through April 9th in Tokyo.

The elite affair represents the sole qualifying opportunity for Japanese swimmers to gain nomination for this summer’s biggest international meets, including the home-based World Championships, the World Junior Championships, World University Games and Asian Games.

We’ve reported on the Japanese Swimming Federation’s (JASF) selection policy, which deems swimmers need to hit the Paris Olympic Qualifying Times at this competition in order to be considered for Fukuoka. You can read more about the policy here.

Additionally, qualifying for Fukouka could bring Japanese swimmers one step closer to Paris 2024 selection, as any individual gold medalist at this summer’s World Championships garners automatic qualification in that same event for the next Olympic Games.

In reviewing the initial men’s entries for the Japan Swim, there isn’t anything too unexpected, although Olympian Daiya Seto is entered in the men’s 200m breast. His 5-event lineup includes the 200m free, 200m fly, 200m IM and 400m IM races in addition to the 2breast to bring a hefty schedule for the 28-year-old.

Seto has demonstrated his prowess in the short course format of the 200m breast, owning the Japanese national record and Asian continental record of 2:00.35 from just last December when he took home the gold at the Short Course World Championships.

In long course, Seto owns a lifetime best of 2:08.98 from the 2019 Japan Open. That time would have rendered Seto the 5th place finisher in the event at the 2022 World Championships.

However, the men’s 200m breaststroke has a notoriously deep field within the nation of Japan.

We’ve reported how former World Record holder Ippei Watanabe is on the right path to coming back to form with a season-best of 2:08.51 while Shoma Sato and Ryuya Mura are eager to make amends for lackluster performances at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

23-year-old Yu Hanaguruma is also on the prowl, joining the sub-2:08 club with his lifetime best of 2:07.99 from last year.

In fact, 3 of the top 6 Japanese performers of all time are currently active and set to compete at the Japan Swim.

Top 6 Japanese Men’s LCM 200 Breaststroke Performers All-Time

1. Shoma Sato, 2:06.40 2021
2. Ippei Watanabe, 2:06.67 2017
3. Akahiro Yamaguchi, 2:07.01 2012
4. Yasuhiro Koseki, 2:07.18 2013
5. Kosuke Kitajima, 2:07.51 2008
6. Ryuya Mura, 2:07.58 2021

Key Men’s Entries for the 2023 Japan Swim (World Championships Qualifier)

Yu Hanaguruma – 100m/200m breast
Tomoru Honda – 100m/200m fly, 400m IM
Shinnosuke Ishikawa – 50m/100m fly
Ryosuke Irie – 50m/100m/200m back
Takeshi Kawamoto – 50m back, 50m/100m fly
Masahiro Kawane – 50m/100m free, 50m fly
Junya Koga – 50m/100m back
Katsuhiro Matsumoto – 50m/100m/200m free, 50m/100m fly
Juran Mizohata – 50m/100m/200m free
Naoki Mizunuma – 50m/100m fly
Ryuya Mura – 100m/200m breast
Katsumi Nakamura – 50m/100 free
Masato Sakai – 200m fly
Shoma Sato – 50m/100m/200m breast
Daiya Seto – 200m free, 200m breast, 200m fly, 200m/400m IM
Shinri Shioura – 50m/100m free
Keita Sunama – 200m back/200m IM
Daiki Tanaka – 100m/200m fly
Shogo Takeda – 800m/1500m free
Terada Takumi – 100m/200m fly
Ippei Watanabe – 100m/200m breast
Konnosuke Yanagimoto – 100m/200m free