``Is there anything left unfinished? I think I may have overdone it,'' said



Ryosuke Irie, who was the first Japanese competitive swimmer to fail to participate in five consecutive Olympic Games. The 34-year-old, who has continued to swim on the front lines and serve as a barrier for young athletes, finished his challenge at the Paris Olympics, which he viewed as a ``culmination'', entrusting his thoughts to his juniors.


(Sports News Department Reporter Shohei Matsuyama)

[Click here for details] Shuichi Takehara has been offered a job, Ryosuke Irie has missed 5 consecutive tournaments

Ryosuke Irie


: ``It doesn't matter how many times you've been to the Olympics in the past, or whether you're a veteran or a young athlete.That's the beauty of competitive swimming, and the beauty of the selection process, which is decided in one shot.I want to overcome that and see some good scenery. ”

These are the words that Irie said before this tournament.



It was clear that they were determined to give their all in this one-shot match.

World Championship (July 2023)

Irie has announced that he will continue to play in 2022, aiming to participate in five consecutive Olympic Games.



The road to this tournament was not always smooth.



Last year, I injured my shoulder before the World Championships in July, and since then I haven't been able to gain weight or muscle mass as much as I wanted, and I haven't been able to swim fast enough.

Asian Games (September 2023)

Irie looks back on those days as follows:

``I suffered from injuries, poor physical condition, and even mental health problems, and my mind, technique, and body were always in a bad state.It was a very difficult and difficult time.''

Then, at the domestic tournament in January this year, he lost in the 100m backstroke to 22-year-old Riku Matsuyama, complaining, ``It's been a long time since I hated competing this much.''

Against this backdrop, Irie's desire to be a barrier for young players and to enjoy the pressure was what re-energized him in preparation for the national team selection.

``I want young players to surpass me, and I want them to gain more and more momentum.I want to be a ``high wall'' myself.I don't think I'll ever experience this much pressure in my life. I think this will be my last Olympic qualifying event, so I want to feel the pressure to the fullest."

Representative selection has arrived.



In the first event, the men's 100-meter backstroke, they completed the preliminaries and semi-finals, and went to the finals with great enthusiasm, saying, ``I don't want to lose, and I just have to have a strong sense of pride.''



However, he lost to Matsuyama again and finished in 2nd place. I was unable to meet the standard dispatch record and was not offered a representative spot in my specialty.

The men's 200m backstroke final was held on the 22nd, with no end in sight for Olympic participation.

``It was refreshing, and I was calm before the race,'' he said, with the composure of a veteran. However, the race was preceded by the winner, 19-year-old Shuichi Takehara, and he finished in 3rd place, meaning he was unable to earn a place on the national team in this event. It was.

Up until now, Irie has been a major barrier and has been a leading force in the Japanese men's backstroke.



In both backstroke events, young athletes defeated Irie and won, giving a sense of the arrival of a new era.

Representative selection: Shuichi Takehara (19)

Takehara, who won the championship and secured a ticket to his first Olympics, accepted that feeling.

Shuichi Takehara


: ``Irie told me, ``It's starting from here, do your best.'' I want to do my best to match Irie and lead the backstroke.''

After the race, Irie spoke while looking back on his competitive swimming career.

"I want to praise myself. I've been swimming competitively all my life, and I've lived my whole life by swimming competitively, including my youth. I've been under the pressure of competitions since I was 16, and it's been tough living there. Until now, I've been on the national team. It's a strange feeling because it's the first time in my life that I felt like I was supposed to be on the national team, but I've been dropped from the national team."

After that...

``It's a tournament that feels like a generational change, and that makes me very happy.I had a strong desire to come back as a veteran and join the national team, but I also really want the fresh members to do their best.''

Irie continued to be a barrier for young players.



The 34-year-old's expression after the ``culmination'' battle was full of refreshment, as if he was looking forward to a bright future.

Irie's race story is now available on NHK Plus ↓↓↓ (until March 29, 2024)

[Streaming on NHK Plus] Irie Men's 200m Backstroke Final etc.