2021 TOKYO METRO NEW YEAR MEET
- Saturday, January 9th & Sunday, January 10th
- Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Centre
- SCM (25m)
- Entry List (in Japanese)
Many of the Japanese elite are targeting the Kosuke Kitajima Cup taking place later this month as their first official meet of 2021, but a handful of notable athletes will be in the water this weekend in Tokyo.
Competing at the 2021 Tokyo Metro New Year Meet, swimmers stemming from Itoman, Renaissance, Tokyo, Central and more will be descending upon the Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Centre to kick-off their calendar year of racing.
Although not a selection meet, this competition will give swimmers a chance to shake off their competition cobwebs en route to a busy racing schedule planned domestically leading up to the Olympic Trials. As reported, here is the lineup of key meets for Japanese swimmers early this year:
January 2021
- Hamana Bay LC Meet
- Yamagata Prefectural New Year’s Swimming Meet
- Chiba Prefectural New Year’s Swimming Meet
- Tokyo Metropolitan New Year’s Swimming Meet
- 2021 Kosuke Kitajima Cup
February 2021
- 2021 Tokyo Open
- 2021 Japan Open
- Tokyo Junior Winter SC Meet
- 2021 Kirara Cup
March 2021
- JOC Spring Swimming Tournament (virtual locations)
- Tokyo Senior Spring Meet
April 2021
- 2021 Japan Swim (Olympic Trials)
As far as the swimmers racing this weekend in Tokyo, leukemia survivor and Swammy Award winner for Heart of a Champion, Rikako Ikee, was originally slated to compete. However, in light of coronavirus cases within the city of Tokyo, she has decided to hold off and instead focus on the aforementioned Kosuke Kitajima Cup.
Her Renaissance teammate Sachi Mochida is among the entrants, however, along with the following swimmers: