2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- February 11th – February 18th, 2024
- Doha, Qatar
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Official Entries
- Live Results
- How To Watch
- Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Recap | Day 4 Finals Recap
- Day 5 Prelims Recap | Day 5 Finals Recap
Japan’s Tomoru Honda already made his mark at these World Championships, capturing the men’s 200m butterfly gold in a time of 1:53.88. That was despite the 22-year-old Olympic silver medalist competing in Doha with a sprained ankle suffered at his home before leaving for this elite international event.
In light of the Japanese Olympic Trials taking place next month in Tokyo, we now know Honda has withdrawn from the remainder of the World Championships to ensure his health for that main event. (Nikkan Sports)
Honda was entered in the remaining events of the men’s 100m butterfly and 400IM, with the former slated for Friday, February 16th and the latter on the schedule for the final day of Sunday, February 18th.
The Japanese Olympic Trials (Japan Swim) are taking place one month earlier than in years past which means Honda has just weeks to get back to form in his bid to make his 2nd consecutive Olympic squad.
Honda is the reigning Olympic silver medalist in the men’s 200m fly having captured the runner-up position behind Hungarian Kristof Milak at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
Given Milak’s questionable form along with Honda’s Asian Games and now World Championshps title, it makes sense that the medal hope is being conservative of his health with so much on the line for the 2024 Olympics.
Japan still has viable candidates in both the 100m fly and 400m IM events in Doha. Asian Games champion Katsuhiro Matsumoto enters this competition as the 3rd seed in the men’s 100m fly while Olympic medalist Daiya Seto ranks as the #2 swimmer headed into the heats of the men’s 400m IM event.
Does anyone have any news about Milak, his preparation and the dates of the Hungarians selections for the 2024 Olympics?
Going 1:53 and winning gold on a sprained ankle is some elite stuff
The Japanese Federation really needs to make their qualification times at trials less aggressive and move the trials closer to the Olympics because for the past three years or so every single Japanese athlete has peaked at their own trials and then swam much slower at the actual big event.
Honda is maybe the only Japanese guy who has consistently shown up at every big meet. Big respect for him.
The Japanese Gymnastics Federation also holds their trials for Worlds/Olympics wayyyy earlier than other countries do. It’s always been a head-scratcher for Gymfans why they do that.
I wonder what the rationale is and if it’s across the board for all the major Olympics sports.
Rationale (logical or not) is that the swimmers that make trials need to then come back up and have a base before the games. Honestly surprised this doesn’t work – Only thing I can think of is that Japanese swim meets and swimming is run a certain way, which is less like what swimmers experience (training, meets, traveling) than countries like the US or those in Europe.
What’s the definition of insanity?
Japan gymnastic federation creates rules that will take 128474 diferent competitions with arbitrary criteria.
When is Japan trials?
In a month