The postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games has affected virtually everyone across major sport, with athletes reacting to the change in plans with emotions ranging from sadness to relief to re-energized conviction.
Last year’s two-time World Champion Daiya Seto of Japan falls into the latter category, for the first time posting his thoughts on the fact his on-fire journey has taken a shocking detour right when he was red-hot.
“It’s been two weeks since the Tokyo Olympics were postponed,” Seto said via Instagram.
“After that, the national championships [Japan Swim] were also postponed. I have not been able to say anything about next year until now because I just could not come to grips with everything.”
Continuing, the 25-year-old World Record holder said, “I couldn’t think of anything positive to say because I had dedicated myself so much to the Tokyo Olympics. When the postponement was announced I was left with a gaping hole I couldn’t fill – I was empty.
“There was no way I could bring myself to talk about next year and honestly, I’m still struggling to pick up the pieces and regroup. Because of the coronavirus, I’m not training at all these days”, he said.
Still coming to terms with needing to continue his seemingly unstoppable IM prowess for another year, Seto stated, “I need to think about what I need to do realize my dream of winning an Olympic gold medal. The work I have put in has led me to swim faster but I need to build on what I have achieved so far and improve my times even more.
“Whether it’s next year or the year after that, I’m going to stay strong and build it back up slowly but surely in trying to win a gold medal, no matter what. It’s time for me to start again!” Seto said.
“The Olympics, to me, is the absolute dream and on par with nothing else. All the experiences, feelings I have had I owe to the Olympics.”
Seto was the 400m IM bronze medalist at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, but has since been on a tear across the 200m IM, 400m IM, and 200m fly events. He was entering Trials season as far and away the top-ranked 400m IMer with a season-best 4:06.09 and also held a comfortable lead in the rankings in the shorter IM with a season-best of 1:55.55.
Via the man’s performances at last year’s World Championships in Gwangju, Korea, Seto has already qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games, even amidst postponement, in the 200m and 400m IM. He was set to race the 200m fly at the Japan Swim, owning a world-leading time of 1:52.53 from January of this year.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
I’m not the type to feel sorry for pro athletes, but my heart hurts for him. He was on track to earn medals in 2 or 3 events. I’ve always loved that he doesn’t try to hide his enthusiasm, confidence, or disappointment. It’s hard not to root for someone who is gutsy enough to pace a 400 IM like that.. In the last few years he’s trained for a triathlon, and he’s beaten freestylers at their own events. If anyone can overcome this sort of obstacle, it should be him!
hear hear!
See see
Well said.
Trust Seto to arrive at Tokyo 2021 more monster than ever.
These people are not machines you can just expect to go endlessly and emotionlessly. This was his year. He was the best Imer in the world. We don’t know if it holds.
Seto is an absolute monster and will be more than ready for everyone next year
I am sad for Seto and other athletes. I know they have trained with all in for ‘that day this year.’ I hope this is a good time for him to spend time with his wife and little girl.
Olympics and OT -postponed, and many feel relieved because they were not ready with no or little training they can do. My question is how many will be ready next year with the pools and training facilities are closed and will close for unknown period. There is a big gap in training status now as it seems some groups of swimmers are still managing to swim somewhere and others none… For the latter, they would have to start going back… Read more »
Seems like he may have lost some of his edge. MA and C Foster will only get better over next 15 months. Hopefully he can pull it together.
Seto doesn’t have to be at his best to beat those two next year. I hope for he’s able to recapture his recent form next year though
I partially agree but there is an argument to be made for MA. He has a full year to build the endurance to come home in a 28 mid which is average for IMers and would put him at 1:55 low
I wouldn’t even go that far yet. It’s only been two weeks. The guy has a right to be disappointed, but he’s a world class professional athlete. As soon as he can get back in a pool again, you know he’ll be doing everything he can to ensure he gets a gold at his home games
A long way to drop for Foster to get down to that level in a single year. It took Phelps 4 years to get from 4:10 at 18 down to a 4:06 in Melbourne. Hagino went 4:08.94 in London as a junior and took 4 years to get to 4:06 low.
A year longer gives Foster a real chance to medal given how open the event looks behind Seto, but the gold is too far I think this time.
Phelps swam his 4:09.09 and 4:06.22 at the very end of a long meet, he’s described those races as the most tired he’s ever been. I don’t know what Foster can do but his Olympic Trials lineup will have him fresh.
True, but at the Olympics everyone’s fresh for the 400 IM.
The men’s 400 IM just seems to be one where people work their way up to gold, not come from way back to take it. All of the Olympic/World champions since 2008 have been guys with senior international pedigree before they took that win.
I think the combination of endurance and excellence across all 4 strokes just takes a while to build up.
I hope he isn’t gonna lose his shape for next year and will give the world amazing performances as we were expecting for 2020.