Olympic Medalist Tomoru Honda Entered In Tokyo New Year Championships

2026 TOKYO NEW YEAR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Saturday, January 10th & Sunday, January 11th
• Tokyo Aquatics Centre
• SCM (25m)
• Meet Central

The 2026 Tokyo New Year Swimming Championships are almost upon us, with action kicking off next weekend from the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

While some big guns to the tune of three-time Olympian Rikako Ikee, World Junior record holder Shin Ohashi and racing mainstay Daiya Seto are opting out of the competition, there is still plenty of star power to render the competition worth following.

For instance, 24-year-old Olympic medalist Tomoru Honda is among the entrants, with the 200m fly specialist having been missing from last year’s elite domestic and international meets.

Honda was entered in November’s Japan Open but was a no-show for all three of his events. His last competition was the Sette Colli Trophy last June, where he finished 10th in the 100m fly (52.65) and 2nd in the 200m fly (1:55.40). We’ll see if the silver medalist from Tokyo makes an appearance here.

World Championships standout Tatsuya Murasa is also slated to compete as a follow-up to the 18-year-old’s breakout year.

Murasa earned an unexpected bronze in the men’s 200m freestyle last year in Singapore, busting out a new Japanese national record of 1:44.54. The teen also ended 2025 with times of 48.43 in the 100 free and 3:46.73 in the 400m free.

Shiho Matsumoto highlights the women’s entries, with the 23-year-old World University Games medalist having placed 14th in the 200m IM at the World Championships.