Daiya Seto, a swimmer whose activity suspension due to women's problems has been lifted.
He participated in the competition, which started on the 4th, where the top swimmers gathered, for the first time after the disposition was lifted, and won the men's 400-meter individual medley, which has been appointed as the Olympic representative.
It is a question and answer in the interview after the race.
“I really felt grateful to be able to compete”
(Question)
Looking back on the race.
(Seto)
First of all, before looking back on today, last year's report caused a great deal of inconvenience to my family, many related parties, and sponsors, and to those who have supported me on a daily basis. I'm really sorry for the disappointing behavior.
During the period when I was being punished, I had the opportunity to talk with many people, and I felt how I was able to continue the competition in a blessed environment, and there is such an environment and they support me. Because there were people, I was able to reaffirm that I am now.
I wasn't aware of that position, so I think I took careless actions.
I will return to the competition again from now on, but from now on, I would like to do my best to do what is in front of me without forgetting my gratitude and humble feelings.
I deeply regret that I caused a lot of trouble to many people last year due to my careless actions.
I am very sorry.
After finishing today's race, I swam with great feelings in the return race, and my target time was less than 4 minutes and 10 seconds, but in the second half it became quite tight and I myself I couldn't race as I expected, but I was able to swim at the Olympic venue for the first time today, and I felt a lot of feelings and I was grateful to be able to compete.
“Pity and gratitude”
(Question)
How comfortable is the Tokyo Aquatics Center?
(Seto)
I really thought it was the venue for the Olympics, and I am grateful to be able to swim in a really wonderful venue.
(Question) What
was your first thought after swimming in the pool today
?
(Seto)
First of all, the atmosphere of the game after a long time, I was very happy to return to this way, and I was full of pity that I misunderstood that the blessed environment was very natural.
I'm just grateful to be back like this.
“Next is a better record”
(Question)
Based on today's time, what can I do?
(Seto) In
the race for the first time in a long time, there was a feeling of tension for the first time in a long time, and there was also a feeling of tension different from before, but in the return race, the first half was less than 2 minutes. Looking back on this race, I think that was the best point.
As for breaststroke and freestyle swimming, I think I'm lacking in practice, so I'd like to cherish every day from here and face the competition with all my strength so that I can swim with even better records in the next race. I will.
(Question)
I swam with Kosuke Hagino.
(Seto) It
's been a long time since I've been in the race with Kosuke since the qualifying, but with Kosuke, I feel more nervous, or when I'm racing with a rival, I feel more nervous, so it really stimulates me. In such an environment, I can continue to compete, and my juniors are growing up, so I want to work hard together so that we can fight against our rivals around the world. I think.
“Think only about doing everything, day by day”
(Question) What
is the practice during the suspension of activities
?
(Seto)
I was practicing with permission from a private pool.
I was practicing with all my strength in a different environment than usual.
After the disposition, I went to the National Training Center in Kita Ward and the high altitude training in Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture. Anyway, I practiced with all my strength day by day and went to the match today. ..
(Question) What
is the condition as of today
?
(Seto)
It's called a return race, and in practice, this is also a new starting point and passing point, so I haven't made any adjustments, but I'll do what I need to do. I wasn't satisfied with the time of 4 minutes and 12 seconds because I was in the race, so I will continue to play the competition, thinking only about doing my best day by day by striking myself firmly. I want to do my best.
“I swam with all my strength”
(Question)
"I had a lot of thoughts at the Olympic venue."
What are your thoughts?
(Seto)
I'm very grateful to myself that the Olympics would be over if the coronavirus hadn't happened, and that swimming at this venue would allow me to compete while the coronavirus hadn't converged yet. Originally, I had mixed feelings that the Olympics were over, but anyway, I was very grateful to be able to participate in the competition because of the coronavirus.
Among them, I wanted to go aggressively from the first half of the match and swim through the final without giving up the number one, so I'm glad I won there anyway.
(Question) In
the second half of the race.
(Seto) I was
pretty sick.
Even so, it was a return race, and I still wanted to deliver good results to those who supported me, so I wanted to go aggressive from the first half and touch the goal without giving up the first place even once. I swam all the way.
“Give back in competition”
(Question)
Has your body changed after the disposal?
(Seto)
I weighed 81 kg during the disposal period.
It's been about a month since I was able to resume training in earnest from the beginning of the year, but for the past month I've been training with the image of losing fat without losing muscle mass without reducing the amount of food I eat. Now, when I wake up in the morning, I've reached 76 kg or 77 kg, so I was in good shape last year when I was 75 kg to 76 kg, so I swam a little more and gained good muscles with good endurance again. I think
I saw some challenges in this race as well, so I felt that muscle endurance and lactic acid resistance were really necessary, so I would like to spend the day with a firm awareness.
(Question) My
feelings for the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics became stronger.
(Seto) The
only place I'm going to stand out from now on is the competition, and I think that the only way to get results in the competition is to drop the gold medal from the neck at the Olympic Games and the world championships ahead. I am a competition, and I would like to do my best so that I can give good reports and give back to those who support me.
“Anyway, do your best to compete”
(Question)
I used to say that the goal of a gold medal in Tokyo is "I want to take it for myself."
(Seto) The
Olympic gold medal has been a dream since I was a kid, and I haven't changed my desire to achieve that dream, but the people who support me even more in this case. I became even more motivated to give back with good results, so I would like to get the power from that and do my best in the competition.
(Question)
How did you feel when you were bowing to the pool before and after the race
?
(Seto)
I had two feelings of apology for causing inconvenience to many people in my actions last year and a feeling of gratitude for being able to participate in the competition.
(Question) What
is the word from Hagino?
(Seto) I
haven't talked about it for a long time because I have Corona, and when I say "Let's do my best", I can get a stimulus by that alone, and I want to fight together on the world stage. I think.
“I never thought about retiring”
(Question)
Have you ever thought about quitting the competition?
(Seto)
I haven't won the gold medal at the Olympics yet, and this time I'm sorry for the inconvenience caused to many people by my careless actions, but I'm not giving back, but the only place where I can see myself is swimming. So, anyway, I wanted to give back to the people who will continue to support me in the swimming competition, so I had no idea of retiring at all.