Japan has named its team for the Short Course World Championships next month, announcing 16 men and 16 women who will make the trip to Doha, Qatar.
The roster includes Kosuke Hagino, the versatile swimmer who stole the show at September’s Asian Games, along with most of the nation’s big-name swimmers.
Japan earned just four total medals at the last short course World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. Two medalists return – Daiya Seto, who took gold in the men’s 400 IM and silver in the 200 IM, and Kanako Watanabe, who took home bronze in the women’s 200 breast.
The team didn’t earn any relay medals last time around, but have started to assemble a very competitive medley relay on the men’s side. This past long course season, Japan took silver at both the Asian Games and Pan Pacific Championships.
All five of the swimmers on the relay at those two meets will compete in Doha. Backstroker Ryosuke Irie, breaststroker Yasuhiro Koseki and butterflyer Hirofumi Ikebata were all on the medley at both meets. Shinri Shioura swam the anchor leg at Asian Games, where the team put up its fastest time, while Katsumi Nakamura swam freestyle at Pan Pacs. Both will be options for Japan in Doha.
On the women’s side, the team features Watanabe on breaststroke along with the two women who actually hold the nation’s short course breaststroking records: Rie Kaneto and Satomi Suzuki. That should be a very strong event for Japan, but equally exciting might be the 50 free, where Miki Uchida has already broken the short course national record this year and will look to lower the mark even further.
The full rosters:
Men (16):
Tsubasa Amai
Takuro Fujii
Kosuke Hagino
Ryosuke Irie
Yuki Kawachi
Yuki Kobori
Yasuhiro Koseki
Katsumi Nakamura
Yuta Oshikiri
Masato Sakai
Reo Sakata
Daiya Seto
Shinri Shioura
Syogo Takeda
Kohei Yamamoto
Women (16):
Sayaka Akase
Tomomi Aoki
Asami Chita
Rino Hosoda
Chihiro Igarashi
Rie Kanetou
Yayoi Matsumoto
Yasuko Miyamoto
Miyu Nakano
Rena Nishiwaki
Shiho Sakai
Sakiko Shimizu
Satomi Suzuki
Miho Takahashi
Miki Uchida
Kanako Watanabe
Wow. Huge Japanese roster. They take that meet very seriously.
Hagino or Irie WRs possible?
What happened to Yamaguchi? Isn’t he still the WR holder in the 200br long course? Is he not swimming this scm season or injured?
My thoughts exactly, scrolling down the list looking for Yamaguchi’s name but couldn’t find it! Haven’t heard much of him since he broke the WR (or heard much before to be honest!)
I swim in Japan but yes Yamaguchi is still active and training hard but the word around the community is that he still hasnt adjusted to Coach Hirai’s training. He has gradually started getting back to his older self and everyone hopes he can go back to 2012 Yamaguchi by the time Rio comes around
Looking forward to Hagino bossing it. He’s had an amazing amount of race practice and has been working on his pacing – I’m sure we’ll see something special.
Only guys who could beat him ar Sun and Yannick Agnel on top form. Otherwise I do think Hagino’s got the edge in mnay events