Japanese teenager Shin Ohashi don set a world record for men 200-meter breaststroke on Thursday at di Asian Games, as e swim time of 2 minutes, 4.83 seconds.
Di old record na 2:05.48 wey Qin Haiyang of China set for di 2023 swimming world championships inside Fukuoka, Japan.
‘I no dey expect say I go post a time like that,’ Ohashi talk. ‘So I really happy. At di same time, I feel a huge sense of relief.’
Di 17-year-old Ohashi already get di fastest time of di year (2:06.59) and e don be di breaststroker to beat dis season.
Denis Petrashov of Kyrgyzstan finish second in 2:08.67, and Cho Sung-jae of South Korea take bronze in 2:08.76.
‘I fit be di world-record holder now, but di level of competition around di world go keep rising,’ Ohashi talk. ‘I no want make dem leave me behind. Instead, I want be di one who dey set di pace, so I go keep working hard for training.’
Ohashi record temporarily take spotlight from China and 13-year star Yu Zidi. Yu don win three gold medals, for 200 butterfly and 200 and 400 individual medley, during di Asian Games. She no go swim any other individual events.
Ohashi win di 400 individual medley earlier for di week for di Asian Games, clocking 4:07.02. Dat world mark na Leon Marchand of France hold am (4:02.50), who win four gold medals for di 2024 Paris Olympics. Marchand don be among di presenters wey dey hand out medals on di pool deck during di games with swimming dey held for di Olympic pool inside Tokyo. Ohashi talk say di most notable thing about im race on Thursday na say e no fade for di final 50 meters. ‘I think my biggest strength na my ability to keep my swimming compact and maintain a good tempo,’ e talk. ‘Ultimately, I think my biggest goal na to win an Olympic gold medal.’
Ohashi break Japan national record earlier for di year for di 100-meter breaststroke. Dat record na Japan Kosuke Kitajima hold am, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion.
China, slightly for di shadows of Ohashi world record, win four gold medals for Thursday seven events. Through five days for di pool — swimming ends Friday — China don win 25 gold medals for 34 events. Chinese winners on Thursday na Wu Qingfeng for women 50 freestyle (23.98), Zhang Zhanshuo for men 800 free (7:42.49), men 4×100 freestyle relay (3:10.60) and women 4×200 free relay (7:49.37).
In addition to Ohashi, Japan also pick gold from Kotomi Kato (2:22.57) for women 200 breaststroke. Di other gold on Thursday go to Mikhail Arkhangelskiy of Bahrain (22.91) for men 50-butterfly. Dem born Arkhangelskiy for Russia and e don swim for Florida State.
Japan 17-year-old swimmer Shin Ohashi don break men 200-metre breaststroke world record on im way to Asian Games gold and soak di moment in front of a thrilled home crowd. Ohashi blistering time of two minutes and 4.83 seconds for Tokyo Aquatics Centre on Thursday eclipse di previous record of 2:05.48, wey China Qin Haiyang set for di 2023 World Aquatics Championships inside Fukuoka, Japan.
‘Di world record na my goal, so I happy well well,’ e talk. ‘Thanks to my fans, my family, all who support me. My next goal na for di gold medal for di world championships.’
Kazakhstan Denis Petrashov finish 3.84 seconds behind Ohashi to claim silver ahead of South Korean Cho Sung-jae (2:08.76). ‘There was a strong rival for di breaststroke. It go exactly as I had thought,’ Cho talk of Ohashi. ‘Honestly, I never imagine say world record go come out of it. I dey delighted to come away with a medal.’
Ohashi triumph come days after French swimmer Leon Marchand, di Olympic 200m breaststroke champion, praise di Japanese swimmer and call am a major threat. ‘I scared. I very scared of him,’ Marchand talk of Ohashi. ‘He still so young. His coach really good. I think his entourage, di people around him, really good, so I hope he go keep improving.’
Thursday medal add to di 100m breaststroke gold Ohashi share with China Dong Zhihao (58.64) ahead of Games record holder Qin, who settle for bronze. He also power Japan to silver for both men and mixed 4x100m medley relays. Ohashi fit win im fifth and final medal on Friday for di 50m breaststroke.
Japan Shin Ohashi become di youngest male swimmer since Michael Phelps to break an individual world record for an Olympic-size pool, as e take down di 200m breaststroke record for di Asian Games on Thursday. Ohashi, 17, swim 2:04.83 inside Tokyo, breaking di record of 2:05.48 wey China Qin Haiyang set for di 2023 World Championships. Ohashi previous personal best na 2:06.59, di world junior record wey he also break on Thursday. Ohashi be di sixth different man to break di 200m breast world record for di last decade. For dat span, di world record don lower by total 2.18 seconds. Ohashi be di youngest man to break a world record for an individual long-course meters event since Phelps break di 400m individual medley world record for di first time for August 2002 at a younger 17, according to Olympic sports historian Bill Mallon of Olympedia.org. Phelps also break di 200m butterfly world record at ages 15 and 16. Ohashi, di 2025 World junior silver medalist for di 200m breast, make im senior major international meet debut for August Pan Pacific Championships inside Irvine, California. He place second for di 100m breast and third for di 200m breast there. Yu Zidi, 13, swim second-fastest 200m individual medley for history. Yu Zidi just miss Summer McIntosh world record.
