Norimasa Hirai

Kosuke Hagino Misses Out On Japanese National Team For 2019/2020 Season

The Japanese Swimming Federation has revealed its National Team roster for the 2019/2020 season, with two major names missing from the list.

  Comment First!

Kosuke Hagino Re-Commits: “With A Strong Heart, I Come Back To The Game”

At the office of the Japanese Swimming Federation President and in the presence of Kosuke Kitajima, Hagino pledges his re-commitment to competitive swimming with Tokyo 2020 in his sights.

  6 Comments

Black Cloud Lingers Over Next Week’s Japan Swimming C’ships

This year’s Japan Swimming Championships, the meet which serves as the nation’s primary qualifying competition for the 2019 World Championships, will have a black cloud raining overhead when racing begins on Tuesday, April 2nd.

  Comment First!

Olympic Champion Hagino Opting Out Of All-Important JPN C’ships

Japan’s key leader Kosuke Hagino has abandoned plans to compete at his nation’s World Championships Trials meet of the Japanese Championships next month.

  5 Comments

Hagino Halts Training Camp In Spain To Regroup For Japanese C’ships

Olympic champion Kosuke Hagino hasn’t quite produced the results for which he was hoping so far this year. He’s decided to withdraw from the Japanese National Team’s training camp in Spain to regroup and refocus.

  Comment First!

Head Coach Hirai, JPN Swimmers Hagino & Koseki React To Ikee Diagnosis

The entire swimming community was shocked to learn that Japanese swimming superstar Rikako Ikee has been diagnosed with leukemia, just months after becoming the first-ever Asian Games MVP.

  2 Comments

SwimSwam’s Official 2018 Swammy Award Index

This month, we’re recounting the top performers and performances of the year 2018. Keep track of all of our Swammy Award winners here, with links out to full Swammy Award stories and honorable mentions.

  20 Comments

2018 Swammy Awards: Hirai & Umehara, Asian Coaches Of The Year

Along with Japanese National Team Coach Norimasa Hirai, Daiya Seto’s coach, Takayuki Umehara, earned our Swammy Award for the 2018 Asian Coach of the Year.

  Comment First!

Japan Reveals Stiffer Standards For 2019 World C’ships Qualification

The Japanese Swimming Federation has released high-level parameters surrounding qualification for the 2019 FINA Long Course World Championships, as well as a hint into the process to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

  Comment First!

Just Days Out From Asian Games, JPN Head Coach Hit w/ Appendicitis

The Japanese squad is arriving in Jakarta for the 2018 Asian Games, but will be without their leader, Norimasa Hirai.

  1 Comment

Olympic Champion Kosuke Hagino Reportedly Signs Deal With Nike

Kosuke Hagino has reportedly signed his 2nd sponsorship deal since turning pro last month.

  Comment First!

2016 Swammy Awards: International Coaches Of The Year

fter finishing second at the men’s 2016 NCAA Championships, Durden put five swimmers on the American men’s Olympic team, all of which went on to make an Olympic final.

  8 Comments

Hagino Undergoes Successful Elbow Surgery, Out For At Least A Month

Multiple Olympic medalist Kosuke Hagino of Japan (left) underwent successful elbow surgery stemming from his pre-World Championships accident.

  2 Comments

Despite Tough Standards, Japan Assembles Its 2nd-Largest Olympic Squad

Despite tough Japanese Olympic-qualifying standards that sometimes stood quicker than the country’s own record in the event, the Japanese are bringing its 2nd-largest swimming squad ever to an Olympics.

  6 Comments

Japan’s Kosuke Hagino Marks His Return To The Pool This Weekend

Kosuke Hagino will make his return to competition this weekend after having sat out several months due to a broken elbow suffered just before Kazan.

  3 Comments