Kitajima set to retire after failed bid for Rio
Print Edition
JAPAN superstar Kosuke Kitajima is set to retire from competitive swimming after failing in his bid to qualify for a fifth Olympics.
The 33-year-old finished fifth yesterday in the men’s 200 meters breaststroke at the national championships, having already missed out in the 100m earlier in the week.
“I knew my career would end in Rio or here in Tokyo this week,” Kitajima told reporters, fighting back tears after waving an emotional farewell to fans in Tokyo.
“In my mind it’s over,” added Kitajima, who won double breaststroke gold at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. “It was a long, hard road to come back and try again to get to an Olympics but I have to accept the result. I’ve got no regrets.”
Kitajima faded badly over the second half of the final, clocking a disappointing two minutes, 9.96 seconds as heir apparent Yasuhiro Koseki (2:08.14) and 19-year-old Ippei Watanabe (2:09.45) booked their spots in Rio this summer to mark a changing of the guard.
“I wanted to go out swimming my style of race,” said Kitajima. “I just didn’t have it in the last 25 meters, it just wasn’t there.”
In Adelaide, three-time Olympic gold medalist Grant Hackett’s attempt to make the team for Rio de Janeiro also ended after he finished seventh in his 200-meter semifinal heat and 11th overall at the Australian trials.
Hackett, who missed qualifying in the 400 freestyle on Thursday, was bidding to become the oldest Australian swimmer to make an Olympic team. He turns 36 next month.
“I have no regrets,” Hackett said.
“At some stage, you have to let go of all this.”
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