25-year-old Olympic champion Kosuke Hagino brought in the New Year by becoming a father. The Japanese swimming ace’s new bride, singer/songwriter miwa, has given birth to the couple’s first child, although the gender and name have yet to be revealed.
The birth has already impacted Hagino, who told Asian media this week, “I feel like I need to work harder now. I have strong motivation now that my child has been born.”
Hagino is continuing his comeback journey after the 400m IM Olympic gold medalist took an almost 5-month hiatus from competitive swimming early in 2019 to tend to mind and body. He opted out of the Japanese trial meets last spring and, subsequently, the 2019 FINA World Aquatic Championships, but has since re-committed to finding his mojo and speed in time to do his nation proud this year at the home-based Olympic Games.
Hagino raced both in November and December, taking on some non-IM events including the 200m backstroke and 200m breast. However, now just over 200 days away from the Olympics, Hagino is getting in full 400m IM training gear.
“I think it’s going to be a big year, and I want to make it the best,” as he engaged in an almost 4-hour training session with fellow IM maestro Yui Ohashi. (NHK)
The last time Hagino raced the 400m IM was at the Konami Open in March of 2019. After registering a time of 4:23.66 for 7th seed in prelims, Hagino opted out of the final and wound up scratching the remainder of the meet.
Hagino owns a lifetime best, Asian record and Japanse national record of 4:06.05, the time it took him to beat the field in Rio for gold.
He is scheduled to compete at the annual Kosuke Kitajima Cup slated for later this month. The event typically kicks off the Japanese long course season and will carry extra significance in terms of lining up the key contenders for April’s Olympic trials.
This guy must be in the top 20 swimmers of the decade.. Olympic champion, multievent worlds medal winners. Excelling in almost every stroke. The Japanese “Phelps”. I still remember his brutal schedule at 2013 Worlds: 200-400 free, 100-200 back and 200-400 medley. If I am not mistaken he made finals in every event. Amazing
Coincidence that hagino and Kitajima both have wives that have anime songs? 🧐
At the way things are going, he should go for the 2 im too. Him and Seto have a chance of having 2 japanese on the podium in both IM’s.
Mad man starts training for 400 IM 8 months about
Power move
So did Phelps in 2012 and he cranked out a 4:07👀
Another strong candidate for top 20 swimmers of the decade.
Definitely higher than Morozov