Newly-minted world record holder in the men’s 200m breaststroke, Japan’s Ippei Watanabe, made a visit to Tokyo 2020 organizers this week. Led by Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto, just shy of 100 staff members gathered around the 2014 Youth Olympic Games gold medalist to congratulate the athlete on his recent achievement.
Of his visit to the committee members, Watanabe said, “It’s a big honor to be invited to Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee today. I feel very lucky to be 23 years old, the best age as a swimmer, in 2020 when Tokyo hosts the Olympic Games.
“I was disappointed to finish at 6th place in Rio after I broke Olympic Record in the semi final and that turns my motivation to break the world record. Gold medal with breaking my own Olympic Record is my goal to achieve in Tokyo 2020.”
While competing at the 2017 Kosuke Kitajima Cup last month, 19-year-old Watanabe cranked out a new WR time of 2:06.67. In doing so, Watanabe became the first man ever to score a sub-2:07 200 breast, easily overtaking the previous world record mark by .34 seconds.
With the current upward-trending trajectory of Japanese performers Kosuke Hagino, Rikako Ikee, Daiya Seto, Katsumi Nakamura and Shinri Shioura, Japan may just prove to be a formidable host force in the pool once Tokyo 2020 arrives.