Gold Medalist Hagino Set To Make Post-Elbow Surgery Return In Madrid

2017 CAMPEONATO OPEN ABSOLUTO COMUNIDAD DE MADRID

• Friday, March 10th – Sunday, March 12th
• Centro de Natacion Mundial 86, Madrid, Spain
• Meet Information
• Entry Lists
• Results

As reported last month, the men’s 400m IM gold medalist in Rio, Japanese powerhouse Kosuke Hagino, will be returning to competition earlier than expected after having undergone post-Olympic elbow surgery.

Hagino underwent endoscopic surgery last September to remove the extra bone on his right elbow, which was broken in June of 2015 while the star was at a staging camp for the FINA World Championships. He was originally slated to make his recovery debut at the Japanese National Championships in April, but has since decided to make this weekend’s Campeonato Open Absoluto C. Madrid his comeback competition, testing out his elbow a month earlier than his nation’s World Championships qualifying meet.

In Madrid, Hagino is slated to compete in 5 events, including his characteristic 200m/400m IM and 200m/400m freestyles. However, Hagino is also trying the 100m backstroke on for size. Having resumed full-scale practice about 2 months ago, the 22-year-old has said there seems to be a ‘dramatic difference’ in the condition of his elbow. While training at a camp in Spain, the Toyo University student old local reporters that his backstroke feels especially strong since undergoing surgery. Hagino is listed as the top seed in the 100m back, carrying a time of 52.78. He notched that time back in 2014 and leaves him ranked within the world’s top 20 performers of all time in the event.

Although Spanish Olympic gold medalist Mireia Belmonte is absent from the meet’s heat sheets, Brazilian athlete Joanna Maranhao and Spanish speedster Bruno Ortiz are both set to compete.