The nation of Japan has been a constant power within the worldwide swimming racing scene with the likes of Takeshi Matsuda, Kosuke Kitajima and Kosuke Hagino amongst its storied Olympic medal-earning historical past.
However, issues have been wanting on the bleaker aspect in recent times as a wave of expertise to the tune of Olympic medalists Yui Ohashi and Ryosuke Irie introduced their retirements mixed with Japan’s worst Games look within the pool since a medal-less 1996 Atlanta.
But Japan’s arsenal of rising athletes holds promise, with 17-year-old Kazushi Imafuku main the cost within the males’s freestyle occasions.
Gaining traction as a 16-year-old in March 2023, Imafuku produced a brand new Japanese Junior High School Record of 14:54.00 within the SCM 1500 free. That turned heads after a lackluster Olympic Games in 2021 the place solely Ohashi Tomoru Honda got here away with {hardware}.
At the identical National JOC Tournament competitors a yr later, Imafuku turned in a time of three:44.45 to take the SCM 400 free, establishing a brand new meet report within the course of.
Demonstrating his abilities weren’t restricted to simply the pool, Imafuku raced within the worldwide open water area, putting third within the males’s 10k on the 2024 Australian Open Water Championships.
However, his breakthrough got here this previous spring when, nonetheless at 16, he topped the 1500m free podium on the 2024 Japanese Olympic Trials.
Imafuku clocked a time of 15:04.36, knocking about 9 seconds off his earlier private finest, en path to registering a brand new Japanese High School Record.
Although he missed the Japanese Swimming Federation (JASF)-mandated qualification time so as to add his title to the Paris roster, Imafuku’s victory marked his elite arrival and set the stage for August’s Junior Pan Pacific Championships.
There in Canberra, Australia, Imafuku battled with Luke Ellis, taking silver behind the American within the 800m free however elevated himself to gold medal standing in opposition to Ellis within the 1500m free.
Imafuku’s effort of 14:59.97 marked his first-ever foray underneath the 15-minute barrier. In doing so he took over 5 seconds off American Olympic multi-medalist Bobby Finke‘s Junior Pan Pacs report of 15:05.29 set again in 2016.
As a 17-year-old, Imafuku ranks as Japan’s Fifth-fastest 1500m performer of all time and swiftest since 2018.
Top 5 Japanese Men’s LCM 1500 Free Performers All-Time
- Kohei Yamamoto – 14:54.80, 2014
- Shogo Takeda – 14:55.42, 2018
- Ayatsugu Hirai – 14:56.10, 2015
- Yohsuke Miyamoto – 14:57.12, 2011
- Kazushi Imafuku – 14:59.97, 2024
His efficiency drew reward from Hagino who tweeted after Imafuku’s swim, “Use this experience to your advantage and lead the Japanese long-distance swimming world!”
日本の高校2年生今福選手が自己ベストでJr.パンパシフィックで15分切り！
この経験は糧になる、日本長距離競泳界を引っ張っていってくださいー！ https://t.co/Jh3ikV9NeT pic.twitter.com/1fxpWw6pg9— Kosuke Hagino (@haginokosuke) August 25, 2024
Imafuku is predicted to race on the 2024 Japanese Short Course Championships which start on Saturday, October nineteenth. The competitors represents the qualification competitors for December’s Short Course World Championships.