Kosuke Kitajima
Kosuke Kitajima (北島 康介, Kitajima Kōsuke, born September 22, 1982 in Tokyo) is a Japanese world record holder and multiple Olympic gold medalist breaststroke swimmer. He won gold medals for the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics.[6]
Major achievements
Kitajima is a decorated swimmer in the world championships and the current world record holder in the 100 m breaststroke that he set in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is also bronze medal winner in the same Olympics in the 4×100 m medley relay. He edged out his main rival Brendan Hansen who finished disappointing fourth while Kitajima won the gold medal and set the new world record. Kitajima also holds the 200m world record.
He received four gold medals and two bronze medals in 2004 and 2008 Olympics.
Controversy
From the US standpoint when he edged out Brendan Hansen, American officials raised controversy about Kitajima's swimming style. On his breaststroke pull-out at every start and turn, some say that he moves his legs making a butterfly stroke-like movement, which was forbidden at the time of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Protests have been officially lodged against him for this (as done by the United States' swimming delegation at the 2004 Olympic Games), but he has never been disqualified from an important competition for this. Perhaps due to the controversial incident at 2004 Olympics, FINA has changed the rule of breaststroke to allow one butterfly-like leg motion after the start and each turn since the 2005 World Championships.[citation needed]
His most significant rival on the breaststroke is the American swimmer Brendan Hansen. They dueled at events such as the 2005 World Championships, 2004 Summer Olympics and 2003 World Championships. Kitajima set both world records for 100 m and 200 m breaststroke in the latter occasion. Later his best in 200 m was overcome by Dimitri Komornikov and then by Hansen, who also broke Kitajima's record in the 100 m. Kitajima regained the world record (58.91) in the 100 m at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Kitajima regained the 200 m breaststroke world record in June 2008 at the Japan Open. His time of 2:07.51 shaved nearly a second off the previous record of 2:08.50 set by Hansen in 2006.[7]
During the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Kitajima generated buzz for his primal screams of exuberance after edging out Hansen in the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke for the gold. At a pool side interview (3'24") following his victory in the 100 m, Kosuke Kitajima also popularised the phrase 'cho-kimochi-ii,' meaning "I feel mega good." The word went on to win the 2004 U-Can Neoligisms and Vogue Words contest.[8]
Medals
- Gold Medal
- 100 m breaststroke – 2003 World Championships (long course) in Barcelona, Spain.
- 200 m breaststroke – 2003 World Championships (long course) in Barcelona, Spain.
- 100 m breaststroke – 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
- 200 m breaststroke – 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
- 200 m breaststroke – 2007 World Championships (long course) in Melbourne, Australia.
- 100 m breaststroke – world record - 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
- 200 m breaststroke – 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
- Silver Medal
- 100 m breaststroke – 2002 FINA Short Course World Championships (short course) in Moscow, Russia.
- 100 m breaststroke – 2007 World Championships (long course) in Melbourne, Australia.
- Bronze Medal
- 100 m breaststroke – 2001 World Championships (long course) in Fukuoka, Japan.
- 4×100 m Medley – 2003 World Championships (long course) in Barcelona, Spain.
- 4×100 m Medley – 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
- 4×100 m Medley – 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Personal bests
In long course swim pools Kitajima's bests are:
- 100 m breaststroke: 58.91 World Record (11th August 2008)
- 200 m breaststroke: 2:07.51 World Record (8th June 2008)
See also
References
- ^ "2004 Olympic Games swimming results". Retrieved 2007-07-22.
- ^ "Montreal 2005 Results". Retrieved 2007-06-09.
- ^ "12th FINA World Championships". Retrieved 2007-06-09.
- ^ "2002 World Championships - Short Course Swim Rankings results". Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ "2002 Asian Games results of Japan".
- ^ Clarey, Christopher (August 13, 2008). "Kitajima Completes Breaststroke Double, Again". The New York Times.
{{cite news}}
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(help) - ^ "Kitajima supplants American Hansen's world breaststroke mark". Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ "2004 Annual Grand Prix". Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- KITAJIMA, Kosuke International Who's Who. accessed September 4, 2006.
External links
- http://www.frogtown.jp/ Kitajima Kosuke Official Website Template:Jp icon
- 1982 births
- Living people
- Olympic swimmers of Japan
- Olympic gold medalists for Japan
- Olympic bronze medalists for Japan
- Japanese breaststroke swimmers
- Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- De La Salle University-Manila alumni
- World record holders in swimming