Big news coming out of Japan today, as the country’s media is reporting one of its biggest swimming stars set to compete at the 2015 FINA World Championships, Kosuke Hagino, is now questionable for Kazan.
Due to what is being vaguely described as a ‘mishap’ on the way to practice in Vichy, Hagino injured his elbow, enough where the athlete has reportedly been flown back to Japan for treatment. With a fracture suspected, sources out of Japan describe Hagino’s status for worlds as “in doubt”. Hagino is slated to hold a press conference in the next few days to report on his status.
Hagino is currently ranked 5th in the 400m freestyle and holds two world number one-ranked times in the 200 IM and 400 IM. Hagino’s teammate, Daiya Seto, is the second-fastest male in each of the two IM events, therefore, Japan will still have major player representation in the events in Kazan. However, if Hagino is indeed absent, the door is substantially opened for rival competitors to take advantage of a Hagino-less race, particularly USA’s Ryan Lochte in the 200 IM and Great Britain’s Dan Wallace in the 400 IM.
Hagino is just the latest in a shockingly growing list of primetime swimmers having to drop out of Worlds due various reasons, including Yannick Agnel’s illness announcement, Therese Alshammer’s injury and James Magnussen’s shoulder surgery. Michael Phelps is also not on the Worlds roster for the United States, per his DUI suspension punishment, while South Korea’s Park Tae-Hwan is currently serving a doping ban.
And the result of all these withdrawals will be a domination of the Russian swimmers at home.
That’s what they had planned! 😆
I can’t wait top see that meet!
It could be very funny to watch!
Or pathetic! 😆
Bobo . Earlier , you stated you were not going to watch it on principle .
I am not going to watch it because I will be in a jungle in Asia – maybe smoking opium . I suggest you take to the Absinthe ( traditional mix ) & some Dom Benedictine .
Enjoy .
*** just joking . I’ll be watching elephants swimming .it is as good as .
I’m going with pathetic. This just makes Rio more interesting.
‘Mishap’… The KGB is doing their job well
I start to think that nobody really wants to swim there. 😆
They know there’s a huge risk to be poisoned by the Russians!
MP had understood that very well since the beginning. 🙂
Next on the list? Katie Ledecky? Sarah Sjöström? Missy Franklin? Cate Campbell? Ryan Lochte?
The same thought occurred to me, briefly. Putin can’t tamper with your pee if you aren’t there. It seems so paranoid to worry about that, and I’d like to give them the benefit of the doubt but it’s Putin’s government we’re talking about here. With that guy, you never know.
Sven – paranoia is the whole Swedish navy & army searching for a Russian sub for a week . Either Putin is outsmarting you x 1000 or you lot are paranoid .
( months later the comedown – umm errh it might have been a local fishing boat) .
:'(
I really, really wanted to see him swim.
ugh…CMON. He was the one i was most excited to see. Him and Agnel gone only leaves one out of my favorite 3 swimmers in Mcevoy left. Hopefully, nothing happens to him…
Hagino withdrawal is also a big hit on their 4×200 relay… First France… now JPN.. US will only have RUS and AUS as potential challengers..
Are you serious? France never had a chance to win the gold/silver medal. They maybe wouldve had a small chance to win the bronze medal. GB and Australia should fight for the gold medal. USA, Russia and Japan will probably fight for the bronze medal.
Australia: 1.45.94, 1.46.33, 1.46.83, 1.47.27
GB: 1.46.32, 1.46.64, 1.46.65, 1.47.10
Russia: 1.47.39, 1.47.41, 1.47.59, 1.47.59
Japan: (1.45.82), 1.47.48, 1.47.59, 1.47.71, (1.47.85)
Is it a joke?
And at the same time Sun Yang and especially Efimova will swim….
It’s never a joke when a swimmer gets injured .
John26, do you think Le Clos will break his PB of 1:52.96 after three years ? And do you think Seto can beat Le Clos or anyone else for that matter ?