Japanese Swimming In State Of Self-Reflection After Disappointing Fukuoka Result

The 2023 World Championships wrapped up with the host nation of Japan putting up its worse showing since the 1994 edition of the biannual event.

In Fukuoka, Japan reaped just two bronze medals, with Daiya Seto placing third in the men’s 400m IM while Tomoru Honda also finished third in the men’s 200m butterfly. Japan’s goal entering the World Championships was to earn at least 5 medals.

In a Championships which saw an incredible ten World Records fall, no new Japanese national records were set and, moreover, only four swimmers from the nation notched personal bests in their respective events. Swimmers on the whole were slower than the times they produced at the Japan Championships in April, the sole qualification meet for Fukuoka.

With the likes of Ryosuke Irie, Reona Aoki, Katsuhiro Matsumoto and more in its arsenal, the nation is internally dissecting what went wrong to render the nation 17th out of 18th in the overall swimming medal table.

Opinions swirling around coaching circles include the possibility of too much time between the aforementioned Trials and the actual World Championships event.

Other points of discussion are the lack of international racing experience for the majority of the national team, as well as the limited spectatorship allowed at past competitions, including the Tokyo Olympic Games, due to COVID-19 measures.

Yet another train of thought includes athletes focusing on their own individual training and performance rather than aligning themselves with a cohesive overall team focus. (Yahoo Japan)

One of Japan’s head coaches at the competition, Takashi Yokoyama, said this week, “The athletes, who had experienced racing without spectators all this time, were overwhelmed by the full crowd and cheers.”

Regarding the lack of racing internationally, several key Japanese athletes raced at this year’s Mare Nostrum Tour, including Matsumoto, So Ogata and Rikako Ikee.

Sprint ace Shinri Shioura hit back on some of these potential failings on social media this week. For one, he stated that he wanted to participate in racing overseas but was denied the opportunity by the Japanese Swimming Federation (JASF).

The 31-year-old national record holder stated, “After the selection meet in April, I negotiated directly with the head coaches until midnight saying that I would like to participate in European racing at my own expense in order to regain the feeling of an international race with an eye on Paris, but I was not allowed to enter. I didn’t get it.”

Shioura also says that he hopes to participate in this year’s World Cup Series but has yet to hear confirmation from the JASF.

28-year-old Chihiro Igarashi also responded to some of the internal criticism saying, “Ever since the Tokyo Olympics, the Japanese team has clearly lagged behind the rest of the world. I have been on the national team for about 10 years, but this year’s World Championships in Fukuoka is a pretty tough one.

“I think it’s because [the federation] no longer puts athletes first. If the players are dissatisfied, we cannot produce good results. They should listen to the players’ opinions more,” she said on social media.

According to sources, the Japan Swimming Federation is considering holding a meeting with athletes and staff in the near future to discuss how to strengthen the team. Look for additional updates as any details unfold.

ただ、準備段階でやり切れなかった部分もあります。4月の選考会が終わった時点で、パリも見据えて国際的なレース感を取り戻すためにEUグランプリに自費でも参加させて欲しいと夜中までヘッドコーチ達に直談判をしましたが、エントリーをさせてもらえませんでした。

— 塩浦慎理 Shinri Shioura (@shinri_shioura) August 6, 2023

皆さんのお察の通り、東京オリンピック以降から明らかに日本チームは世界から出遅れています。私は約10年ほど代表を経験してきましたが、今回の福岡の世界水泳はかなり厳しい結果です。
原因のひとつとしては、日水連が選手に対してアスリートファーストではなくなってしまったからだと思います。

— 五十嵐 千尋 (@Pink24guess) August 7, 2023