While the globe is gearing up for the 2024 World Championships set to begin just days away in Doha, Qatar, we’re also reflecting on performances that have transpired at various national meets recently.
Japan played host to two notable swims you may have missed, so we wanted to put them on your map with the Paris Olympic Games on the horizon.
Newcomer in Men’s 200 Freestyle
First, while competing at the 40th Hanauma Bay Long Course Swimming Championships earlier this month, high schooler Tatsuya Murasa fired off a new personal best of 1:47.49 to take gold in the men’s 200m freestyle.
At just 16 years of age, Murasa dipped under the 1:48 barrier for the first time in his career. The teen’s outing overtook his previous career-quickest of 1:48.07 logged at December’s Japan Open. He’s now within half a second from the Japanese High School Record in the event.
For perspective, Murasa’s 1:47.49 would render him the United States’ #2 15-16-year-old in history, sitting only behind Maximus Williamson‘s 1:47.29 from last year.
Although Murasa will need to hack off even more time if he wants to make a run for individual qualification for Paris, his performance has inserted his name in the Japanese men’s 4x200m freestyle relay conversation.
Katsuhiro Matsumoto remains the top dog with a personal best and Japanese national record of 1:44.65 and season-best thus far of 1:46.60. Hidenari Mano ranks highest among Japanese men this season, clocking 1:46.15 for 4th at last year’s Asian Games.
Konosuke Yanagimoto, Tomoru Honda, Daiya Seto and Taikan Tanaka are also front-runners vying for a coveted 4×2 spot for Paris but Murasa’s new PB has put these candidates on notice.
Yet Another 200 Breaststroke Contender
At the Kosuke Kitajima Cup earlier this month, former World Record holder Ippei Watanabe told his competitors once again that ‘he’s back.’ The 26-year-old put up a time of 2:07.02 to not only take gold at the annual meet but also take over the season’s world ranking crown.
However, runner-up status went to Watanabe’s teammate Yamato Fukasawa.
Fukasawa stopped the clock in 2:07.98, hacking nearly a second off his previous career-quickest time of 2:08.92 logged at last year’s World Trials. His performance checked him in as Japan’s 7th-fastest man in history in this 200m breast event. He’s now #3 in the world on the season.
Although he won bronze at the 2023 World University Games, Fukasawa is a relative unknown newcomer to the 200m breast scene. According to Sankei News, upon graduation from Keio University last spring, he reportedly only practiced 3-4 times a week while he worked in urban development.
Fukasawa now trains alongside Watanabe under the guidance of Naoki Takashiro in the hopes of making it a 1-2 squad punch for the Paris Games.