2021 JAPAN SWIM (OLYMPIC TRIALS)
- Saturday, April 3rd – Saturday, April 10th
- Tokyo Olympic Aquatics Centre
- LCM (50m)
- Japan’s Sole Olympic-Qualifying Opportunity
- JASF Olympic Selection Policy
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap/ Day 5 Recap/Day 6 Recap/Day 7 Recap
- Results
29 swimmers achieved a Japanese Swimming Federation (JASF)-mandated qualification time at the Tokyo Olympic Aquatics Centre over the past week, while others came so painstakingly close it brought tears on the pool deck. After all was said and done, newcomers to the tune of Katsuo Matsumoto and Ryuya Mura introduced themselves as first-time Olympians, leaving veterans such as Ippei Watanabe off the list.
Although we’re awaiting the final official list of Olympic qualifying athletes from the JASF, Asian media is reporting that a handful of names were added to those who already qualified outright at these just-concluded Japanese Olympic Trials.
29-year-old Shinri Shioura, who finished off the podium in both the 50m and 100m freestyle, is reportedly one of those athletes, as is 21-year-old Toyo University ace Rio Shirai. The other two names in the mix include Aoi Masuda and Nagisa Ikemoto.
Shioura placed 5th in the 100m free and would be selected as a possible replacement for the aforementioned Matsumoto on the 400m free relay. Not only did World Championships silver medalist Matsumoto fire off a new 200m free national record and qualify in that individual event, but the man also placed 2nd in the 100m free to qualify for the relay.
However, these events overlap at the actual Olympics, throwing a wrench into the plans of Matsumoto focusing full energy on the 200m free. The addition of Shioura would help alleviate this scheduling conflict.
As for Shirai, Masuda and Ikemoto, they placed 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the women’s 200m free, respectively. Although the combination of the top 4 finishers missed the JASF-mandated Olympic qualifying collective time, these women will reportedly still be able to race the 800m free relay in Tokyo.
Asian media is also reporting that Masato Sakai, Morimoto Teppei and Sakiko Shimizu have been selected as alternates in their respective events of the 200m back, 200m fly and 400m IM should the top 2 qualifiers have to drop out due to coronavirus or any other reason.
They shouldn’t add people to the Olympic roster now that trials are over. I get COVID and all that but the fact remains that they didn’t finish in the top 2 or even if finished in the top 2 they didn’t go under the qualifying standard. If someone drops out whether it’s COVID or for some reason, it sucks but things happen.
Also Ikee should not be able to swim any individual events because she did not make the qualifying standard. It sucks but there are several swimmers who can’t go to Tokyo because even if they finished in the top 2 they didn’t go faster than the qualifying standard.
Problem is that the JASF qualifying standard is much faster than the Olympic qualifying standard. And for an event like the men’s 1500m free, it makes even less sense for the JASF qualifying standard to be faster than the national record.
It’s not entirely wrong to say that the JASF qualifying standard is unfair to the Japanese swimmers, especially when it’s a home games, and when you have other nations that just throw in swimmers as long as they made the Olympic cut and are the two fastest in their nation.
The 1500 free winner missed the cut by .07.
However those individuals who missed the cut and currently only listed as relay swimmers MAY be able to swim individual event after some consideration.
Shioura said he was not motivated to select the Olympics. Seen from another position, choosing such a player seems cruel.
So does Shimizu, she intended to retire after this tournament.
If you choose Shioura and Shimizu, you need to choose Ippei Watanabe.
Only if they introduce a 4×200 brst relay. (Which Japan would be heavy favourites for! 🙂 (That’d be one for the true purists!))
Even a 4×200 medley would play into Japan’s favor and would be an event I’d pay good money to see
Watanabe placed 3rd in the 100 and 200… There’s no reason why they should send him. Sato and Mura beat him in both races, but they still missed the cut to swim individually on the 100. Even if Japan decided to let someone swim the 100 individually, Watanabe would have to be 3rd in line. It would be unfair to Mura to give Watanabe a spot instead of him.
And adding Shioura to the roster allows Matsumoto to focus on an individual event (where he’s actually a medal contender). It’s not a handout because they feel sorry for Shioura.
Also, according to this article, Shimizu is only an alternate, so she won’t go unless Ohashi or Tanigawa pull out. She… Read more »
My only pushback is that they have other Olympians like Hagino who are capable of going a sub 49 off a relay start so I would go there first before asking Shioura.
Hagino did not even enter the 100 free at trials. Shioura placed 5th, and his time there would still keep their cumulative 400 time under the qualifying time designated by JASF. He was literally next in line based on his performance at trials, so he’s the most logical choice. Aside from not entering the 100 free, Hagino had already chosen not to enter the 400 IM, and he scratched the 200 back to focus on his other events. Sounds like he wouldn’t want to swim the relay, and/or he wouldn’t be able to handle that many events. He didn’t swim the 100 at trials, so it doesn’t make sense to add him to the 400 free relay when the 5th… Read more »
Considering that Shioura is a freestyle specialist that can go 48 low with the relay dive that makes no sense
ikee? Individual events ? Pleeeeaaassseeee……
Nope she didn’t make the qualifying standard. The Japan swimming federation can’t back out of the guidelines they set for the swimmers for Olympic trials.
The original guidelines from 2019 seem to indicate that for individual events, if they don’t have 2 people who make the cuts they designated, the committee can still choose to send either or both of the top 2 finishers from finals at trials. At least that’s my understanding, though I’m not great at reading that kind of document.
There’s a file uploaded to one of the articles linked on this page, but it’s in Japanese.