47th NATIONAL JOC SPRING SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS (JPN)
- Thursday, March 27th – Sunday, March 30th
- Tokyo Aquatics Centre
- SCM (25m)
- Results (in Japanese)
17-year-old Kazushi Imafuku has already been named to Japan’s roster for this summer’s World Championships but the teen is doing anything but resting on his laurels.
On the heels of the Japan Swim, the sole qualification meet for Singapore, Imafuku dove in for the 47th National Junior Olympic Cup Spring Swimming Championships.
Imafuku took on the men’s short course meters 1500 freestyle where he unleashed a huge personal best of 14:23.26. He beat the field by nearly 20 seconds en route to gold.
Entering this competition, Imafuku’s lifetime best rested at the 14:36.32 notched during the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup Series. Flash forward to tonight, however, and Imafuku slashed 13 seconds off that mark to become Japan’s best-ever.
The former Japanese national record stood at the 14:25.95 Shogo Takeda put on the books at the 2022 Short Course World Championships. Takeda finished 4th there in Melbourne.
At the aforementioned Japan Swim, Imafuku clocked a new Japanese benchmark in the long course meters edition of the 1500 freestyle, scorching a lifetime best of 14:50.18 to rank #1 in the world this season.
This kid is crazy, seems like every time he dives in he produces something special. Well done to him, hope he keeps the records coming 👏👏👏.
I’m pretty sure I’m mispronouncing this last name. I’m even more sure I’m not gonna stop.