2021 JAPAN SWIM (OLYMPIC TRIALS)
- Saturday, April 3rd – Saturday, April 10th
- Tokyo Olympic Aquatics Centre
- LCM (50m)
- Japan’s Sole Olympic-Qualifying Opportunity
- JASF Olympic Selection Policy
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap/ Day 5 Recap/Day 6 Recap/Day 7 Recap
- Results
A total of 33 swimmers have been named to the Japanese roster for the home-based Olympic Games kicking off this upcoming July. The roster includes 17 male and 16 female swimmers, with 22 of them making their Olympic debut. The number is slightly lower than the 36-strong lineup for Japan in Rio.
Among the veterans are Kosuke Hagino, Daiya Seto and Ryosuke Irie while Katsuo Matsumoto and Shoma Sato will be staking their claim on events for the very first time.
For Irie, the 31-year-old will be representing Japan for the 4th time at an Olympic Games. He ties Kosuke Kitajima and Takesha Matsuda for making the most (4) Olympic squads.
Rikako Ikee wowed the world in making the squad as a member of the sprint free and medley relays, having taken a remarkable 4 individual titles at these Trials.
The nation of Japan finished 4th in the overall medal table at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, claiming 2 gold medals, 2 silver medals and 3 bronze for a total of 7 pieces of hardware. The gold medals came in the form of Hagino in the 400m IM and Rie Kaneto in the women’s 200m breast. Hagino has dropped the 400m IM and Kaneto has since retired, leaving those slots vacant for newcomers to top the podium.
You can review our in-depth synopsis of the Japanese Olympic Trials meet here.
Japanese Olympic Roster for 2020 Tokyo Games
- Yuki Ikari – men’s 400m IM
- Yui Ohashi – women’s 400m IM, 20m IM
- Daiya Seto – men’s 200m IM/400m IM (officially pre-qualified), 200m fly
- Ageha Tanigawa – women’s 400m IM
- Waka Kobori – women’s 400m free, 800m free
- Miyu Namba – women’s 400m free, 800m free
- Rikako Ikee – women’s medley relay (fly), 400m free relay
- Shoma Sato – men’s medley relay (breast), 200m breast
- Katsuo Matsumoto – men’s 200m free, 400m free relay
- Kanako Watanabe – women’s 100m breast, 200m breast, medley relay
- Reona Aoki – women’s 100m breast
- Ryosuke Irie – men’s 100m back, 200m back, medley relay
- Konosuke Yanagimoto – men’s 800m free relay
- Kosuke Hagino – men’s 800m free relay, 200m IM
- Takahashi Kotaro – men’s 800m free relay
- Tomoru Honda – men’s 200m fly
- Miho Teramura – women’s 200m IM
- Katsumi Nakamura – men’s 100m free, 400m free relay
- Kaiya Seki – men’s 400m free relay
- Namba Akira – men’s 400m free relay
- Suzuka Hasegawa – women’s 200m fly
- Ryuya Mura – men’s 200m breast
- Natsumi Sakai – women’s 400m free relay
- Chihiro Igarashi – women’s 400m free relay, 80m free relay
- Rika Omoto – women’s 400m free relay
- Keita Sunama – men’s 200m back
- Naoki Mizunuma – men’s 100m fly, medley relay
- Takeshi Kawamoto – men’s 100 fly
- Anna Konishi – women’s medley relay (back)
- Shinri Shioura – men’s 40m free relay
- Rio Shirai – women’s 800m free relay
- Aoi Masuda – women’s 800m free relay
- Nagisa Ikemoto – women’s 800m free relay
Could be interesting to know how many of them would qualify with fina A standard , I think they would be as many as team usa giving the depth during their recent nationals
Matsumoto’s first name is “Katsuhiro” not “Katsuo”
Katsuo is a nickname he often goes by.
Given how quickly she’s improving and the fact that she’s already going to the Olympics, it would only make sense to let Ikee swim the individual events she won. The JASF doesn’t exactly have a history of making smart decisions though.
Suzu Chiba, anyone?
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jul-11-sp-50795-story.html
It would do no harm at all to allow the top ranked swimmer at trials (who are qualified as relay only swimmers) the chance to also compete in the individual event.
Just name the winner only at trials for all the 100s and 200 free provided they meet the FINA A cut.
Someone should remind JASF, that only 12 additional swimmers can be entered as relay-only. There are 13 names on the roaster without an individual event listed.
Japanese ppl do not want the Olympics . Osaka banned the torch relay !
So far things look to have the excitement of a dried fish.
I’ve counted this so many times I’m not even sure “relay” is a word anymore… but I think you’re right
I guess a way to avoid that would be to announce one of those 13 swimmers to swim an individual event. Would that be right?
I believe a hosting country should have flexibility to have additional events/athletes
Well in this case they aren’t even filling the slots they could be using, so that’s kind of a moot idea.
So did they relax their qualifying standards for any event, or is this the same list of swimmers that hit the standards last week?
Looks like they didn’t. Shui Kurokawa didnt get the nod even tho he broke the national record in the 800 free
At the 2016 trials, the legendary Kosuke Kitajima got under the qualifying standard for the 100 breast in the semis, finished second place in the final but over the mark, wasn’t allowed to go.
So they would rather have no one swim then 100 fly 50 free and 100 free than put rikako in it 😐
Ikee would totally have a shot at a medal
just imagine her seeing other swimmer going slower times but making olympic final..
Especially when there’s still about 100 days to sharpen their samurai swords…they should pretty much put two swimmers in every event.
And for Rikako it is 100 post cancer-days…..to improve!
It’s not like they have to spend more money to send her to the games. She’s home and already competing. At most it’s an entry fee or 2. If you take the Pro Swim Series entry fees, it’s $40 for 2 events. Seems like a very small cost not only for her bounce back from cancer, but a story that will inspire others and pay Japan and Ikee very handsomely to tell the story.
Why would it be ridiculous?
I honestly think the tough qualifying standards are partially so swimming federations can play games with the discretionary picks, and maintain control of who goes. If they had a more reasonable selection process, coaches and officials couldn’t play politics and make biased decisions.
The qualifying standards are created based on top 8 time in the world ranking. Japan has this theory ‘if you represent our country, it has to be as good as making the final.’ My opinion is the same with you. Because having the trial almost 4 months before the Olympics, dropping .01 or .07 in 1500 m free can be very possible ( the winner of 1500 missed the cut by .07).
However, in the past they had the 200 meter qualifiers swim in 100… or relay only swimmers swam the individual event. I believe Rikako and Sato will swim the individual 100fly and BR respectively. Ippei Watanabe is one example in Rio. He did not even make the… Read more »