In preparation for the World Championships to be held in Fukuoka City in July, athletes representing the Japan swimming team participated in a competition held in Tokyo, and Katsuo Matsumoto won the men's 7-meter butterfly with a good time.
The Japan swimmers who will compete in the World Championships in July participated in the Tokyo Metropolitan Championships held at the Tokyo Aquatics Center in Koto Ward from 7 June.
In the final of the men's 2-meter butterfly, Matsumoto, who won this event at the Japan Championships, participated.
Last month, Matsumoto traveled to Europe for about three weeks to participate in the competition, but after swimming strongly from the first half and finishing in second place, he showed improvement in the second half and came out on top with a good time of 100.3 seconds, beating Naoki Mizunuma, the silver medalist in this event at last year's World Championships, to win the race.
Matsumoto competed as the first swimmer of the men's Japan team in the 2-meter relay, which was held as a special event, and after connecting with the top swimmer with a time of 51.62 seconds, the Japan team ran away and finished first in 400:1.49.
After the race, Matsumoto said with a smile, "I was very tired, but my time was good and I felt that I was strengthening well, and I was really looking forward to the World Championships."
Regarding the relay, he was enthusiastic, saying, "I felt that we have not yet caught up with the world level, so I hope that I can lead the team and pass it on to the next team by beating the overseas teams as much as possible."