15-Yr-Old Shin Ohashi Blasts 2:11.13 200 Breast Japanese Junior High School Record

2024 JAPANESE OLYMPIC TRIALS

• Sunday, March 17th – Sunday, March 24th
• Tokyo Aquatics Center
• LCM (50m)
• Japan’s Olympic Selection Criteria
• Entries
• SwimSwam Entries Post
• Preview #1 / Preview #2
• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap| Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Recap| Day 3 Finals Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Recap|Day 4 Finals Recap
• Live Result
• Livestream

Day four of the 2024 Japanese Olympic Trials was void of any additional Paris 2024 qualifiers, although there were just 2 finals sprinkled in among a packed semi-final agenda.

One of the semi-finals was the men’s 200m breaststroke, which saw 3 of the nation’s 4 best-ever performers among the field.

After the dust settled, former world record holder Ippei Watanabe earned the top seed in a stellar 2:07.92 while 2022 World Championships silver medalist Yu Hanaguruma snagged the 2nd seed in 2:08.99.

Newcomer to the elite party, Yamato Fukasawa, captured the 3rd seed in 2:09.26.

Lurking as the 6th-seeded swimmer, however, is 15-year-old Shin Ohashi. Ohashi fired off a big-time personal best of 2:11.13 to not only make tomorrow night’s final but also establish a new Japanese Junior High School Record.

Top 8:

1. Ippei Watanabe, 2:07.92
2. Yu Hanaguruma, 2:08.99
3. Yamato Fukasawa, 2:09.26
4. Shoma Sato, 2:09.89
5. Hiroshima Shirai, 2:10.55
6. Shin Ohashi, 2:11.13 *New Junior High School Record
7. Ippei Miyamoto, 2:11.50
8. Shun Kamata, 2:11.56

Splitting 1:03.35/1:07.78, Ohashi overtook the previous junior high record of 2:11.95 owned by Akihiro Yamaguchi from the 2009 JOC Summer Cup. Yamaguchi eventually went on to set the 200m breast world record at 2:07.01 in 2012.

Ohashi’s personal best entering these Trials rested at the 2:13.93 he clocked en route to winning the boys’ 12-14 200m breaststroke at last month’s Asian Age Group Championships. That means the teen hacked off over 2 and a half seconds with tonight’s performance.

For perspective, Ohashi’s 2:11.13 would rank him as the #2 fastest American 15-16-year-old in history. Josh Matheny owns the U.S. NAG at the 2:09.40 registered in 2019.

Ohashi’s shining star is par for the course for Japanese men in the 200m breast event. The depth is staggering, with 3 of the top 10 quickest men in history worldwide stemming from Japan.