Japan Brings Heavy Arsenal To Battle China At 2018 Asian Games

by Retta Race 4

May 30th, 2018 Asia, International, News

In addition to the line-up being named for the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships, the Japanese Swimming Federation also revealed its roster selections for the 2018 Asian Games taking place in Indonesia beginning August 18th. With most of the Pan Pac roster also named to the Asian Games, Japan’s elite swimmers will jump from one international competition to the next with little training time in between.

The Asian Games take place every 4 years and is taken very seriously by the athletes involved. Swimming is just one of nearly 50 sports contested over the 2-week affair, with big guns China and Japan duking it out the entire time. At the 2014 edition of the Games, the 2 nations set themselves apart from the competition big-time in the medal table, with China collecting 47 overall to Japan’s close 46. In terms of golds, however, China snagged an impressive 22 to Japan’s 12.

Additionally of note, since the inception of the MVP award across all sports at the quadrennial event back in 1998, a swimmer has won it 3 times, including Kosuke Kitajima in 2002, Park Tae Hwan in 2006 and Kosuke Hagino in 2014.

2014 Asian Games gold medalist Junya Koga was originally named to his nation’s roster for the 2018 but has been removed due to a positive doping test, as reported earlier this month.

Translation assistance provided by Rebecca Nishikawa- Roy.

Men

Freestyle

Backstroke
  • Ryosuke Irie
  • Masaki Kaneko
  • Keita Sunama
Breaststroke
  • Yasuhiro Koseki
  • Ippei Watanabe
Butterfly
IM
Relay-Only
  • Shinri Shioura
  • Juran Mizohata
  • Reo Sakata

Women

Freestyle
Backstroke
  • Anna Konishi
  • Natsumi Sakai
  • Sayaka Akase
Breaststroke
  • Reona Aoki
  • Satomi Suzuko
  • Kanako Watanabe
Butterfly
IM
Relay-Only
  • Rio Shirai

Coaching Staff-

Coach/Director : Norimasa Hirai

Team Dr; Masaki Tatsumura

Head Coach: Takayuki Umehara

Coach: Kenta Kusanagi

Coach: Yoshihiro Fujimori

Coach: Yoji Suzuki

Coach: Tomohisa Honzaki

Coach: Taku Yonezawa

Coach: Shin Watanabe

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swimmerj
6 years ago

Will Ikee not be swimming butterfly?

Wow
Reply to  swimmerj
6 years ago

Kind of odd not seeing her swim her best stroke…

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  swimmerj
6 years ago

she will of course ….its been clarified on the other article

Bear Drinks Beer
6 years ago

*battle China and Joseph Schooling?

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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