On the 4th, the fourth day of the Japan Swimming Championships, which also serves as the selection process for the World Championships, former world record holder Ippei Watanabe won the men's 7-meter breaststroke and was selected for the national team for the first time in four years.
The Japan Swimming Championships are held at the Tokyo Aquatics Center in Koto-ku, Tokyo, as part of the selection process for the World Championships to be held in Fukuoka City in July.
In the individual events, the athlete who breaks the record set by the Japan Swimming Federation for this World Championship in the final race and finishes in the top two will be selected for the Japan national team.
On the fourth day of the Games, six events were held, including former world record holder Ippei Watanabe, who is aiming to compete in the World Championships for the first time in four years since 7, Shoma Sato, the Japan record holder and representative of the Tokyo Olympics, and Yu Hanasha, who won the silver medal in this event at last year's World Championships, in the final of the men's 2-meter breaststroke.
Watanabe jumped out from the start of the race, but Sato, who was conscious of a big swim, took the lead in the middle of the race.
In the last 4 meters, Watanabe reversed again and won the championship with a good time of 7 minutes 6.200 seconds, and together with Sato, who was in second place, he met the time conditions and was offered a place in the national team. Hanasha was in third place.
Ippei Watanabe to World Championships in Kyushu "I will work the best in the world"
Ippei Watanabe said, "I was injured in February, so I didn't think I had a satisfactory practice, but I entered the 2-meter breaststroke with the intention of enjoying it more than anyone else, so it was an exciting race.
On top of that, for the World Championships to be held in his hometown of Kyushu, he said, "Since it is the long-awaited local event, I need to train harder, work harder in the world, and go into the race with confidence that I can set a world record. I was enthusiastic.
Shoma Sato: "I'm happy, but I'm also disappointed because I was number two."
SATO Shoma, who finished second and was selected for the World Championship team, said, "I've always felt frustrated that I couldn't get a time after the Tokyo Olympics, but I wanted to break into the national team this time, so I'm very happy that I was able to achieve that. He expressed his mixed feelings.
After that, he reflected on the race, saying, "I tried to be aggressive from the first half of the race without being afraid of being halfway behind, and I want to step up even more for the summer."
Men's 200m Backstroke: Shuichi Takehara and Daiki Yanagawa
In the men's 200-meter backstroke, winner Shuichi Takehara and second-place finisher Daiki Yanagawa were selected for the national team after meeting their time requirements.
Women's 200m breaststroke Tsuki Imai wins national team
In the final of the women's 200-meter breaststroke, Tsuki Imai, a member of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic team, competed.
In the race, Reoki Aoki, who had already been selected for the national team in the 100-meter breaststroke, jumped out from the start and took the lead until the 150 meters, but Imai spurted in the last 50 meters and overtook him at once, winning in 2:22.98, satisfying the time conditions and being selected to represent the country at the World Championships for the first time in six years.
Tsuki Imai's first World Championship in six years
Tsuki Imai won the women's 200-meter breaststroke. The ticket to the World Championships for the first time in six years was a sign that he had regained his brilliance.
Imai competed in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in the individual medley when she was 6 years old and in her first year of high school. However, after that, my growing body and swimming did not mesh, and I could not achieve the results I wanted.
After not being able to participate in the World Championships after 15 and missing out on the Tokyo Olympics as an adult, he said that "it was a completely different five years from the swimming life I had envisioned," and at one point retirement crossed his mind.
Even so, I encouraged myself to believe that "my swimming will not end here," and decided to change my mind and continue competing at a different club.
In order to face my own body and learn how to swim that suits my current body, I have improved my muscle strength through weight training and used it in swimming to get a response.
In the final on the 1th, he said that it was important to be able to go with a calm mindset, but it was Reoki Aoki, who had been selected to represent the world championships in the 2017-meter breaststroke, who took the lead from the beginning.
"I was confident that I could lift it in the last 5 meters, so I will keep my composure and give it my all at the end," he said, unfazed as he felt before the race.
After finishing second behind Aoki, he spurted in the last 7 meters with a stretched swim, overtook him at once, and finished at the top. I got a job offer for the World Championship team for the first time in six years.
"When I was 100 years old, I felt like I was able to make it to the Japan national team with luck on my side, but I think I was able to win this World Championship with my ability, so I'm very happy," said Imai.
"I want to show that I have grown on the big stage of the World Championships."
The darker the night sky, the brighter the moon. We vow to regain our brilliance and leap forward in the world.
Rikako Ikee Women's 100m Freestyle Winner
In the final of the women's 100-meter freestyle, Rikako Ikee, who was selected to represent the Japan national team in the 100-meter butterfly in an individual event for the first time since 2018, won in 54.17 seconds, but did not meet the time requirements and was not offered a representative in this event.