2020 TOKYO SPECIAL SWIMMING TOURNAMENT
- Saturday, August 29th & Sunday, August 30th
- Tatsumi International Swimming Centre
- LCM (50m)
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap
- Results
30-year-old Ryosuke Irie continues to remain Mr. Consistent when it comes to men’s backstroke events. He is a 3-time Olympic medalist 6-time World Championships medalist who owns the top 10 200 backstroke performances of all-time for his home nation of Japan.
The national record holder in both the 100m and 200m already owns the fastest time in the world this year in the former (52.59) while knocking down the #2 performance worldwide in the latter (1:55.35). He was set to become one of the faces of the 2020 Olympic Games taking place in his home nation before their unprecedented postponement to 2021 set him, as well as all other athletes, on a new path.
The Olympic Games are set now to begin on July 23, 2021, although there are some still doubting if the Games will indeed go on.
For instance, we reported in April how Yoshitake Yokokura, surgeon and the head of the Japan Medical Association, said that he was doubtful that the Olympics could take place without a vaccine for the novel 2019 coronavirus.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who just stepped down this week due to health concerns, also conveyed that hosting the Olympics next year would be “impossible” unless the coronavirus pandemic is under control by next then.
Against this backdrop, Irie has said that “if the Tokyo Olympics don’t go ahead, I believe that I will go to Paris 2024.” (Yahoo)
Irie isn’t deterred by the fact that he would be 34 years of age 4 years from now, pointing to the fact that multi-Olympic medalist Kosuke Kitajima competed into his 30s, with the breaststroke finally hanging up his goggles in 2016 at the age of 34.
Irie isn’t the only elite mainstay who has relayed the fact he may push on to Paris if Tokyo should not go on as planned for 2021. Aussie Olympic medalist Cate Campbell previously said she, too, would hang on for 3 more years to try for a final Olympic team.
Grevers is living proof that you can swim at an elite level in your mid 30s, and he seems to think he can go to 40 based on the podcast with Mel and Coleman a few months back. Irie can do it too, I have no doubt.
What a brilliant! He is already the smoothest backstroke ever, and will be even in Paris, 2024!
Love to see swimmers extending their careers beyond the 30s… Actually, training has evolved so much that thinking one needs to retire at 20 something seems crazy to me.
Wish back in my days my coach thought like that as well instead of trying and train me like a college freshman forever.
Even at 34, I’m sure he’d still have the smoothest stroke in the field: his backstroke is swimming pornography.
Tried to jump in here first with the obligatory “smoothest stroke comment” but you beat me to it…
an inspiration!