Two-time double Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima is all set to restore his fame as the world's fastest breaststroke swimmer following a ban on high-speed swimsuits, a report said Tuesday.
The 28-year-old Japanese told the daily Nikkan Sports that he was gearing up for the world swimming championships in Shanghai in July, hoping to win gold, although his real ambition was to get into the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
"I'm not just in it for the gold. I want to win an Olympic berth," Kitajima said as he prepared for this weekend's national trials for the Shanghai championships where the winners will get tickets to the London Games next year.
After defending his 100m and 200m Olympic titles in Beijing in 2008, Kitajima took a 15-month layoff, skipping the last 2009 world championships in Rome where both of his world records were shattered.
Brenton Rickard clocked 58.58secs in the 100m, breaking Kitajima's record of 58.91. Another Australian, Christian Sprenger, lowered the Japanese swimmer's 200m mark by 0.2 seconds to 2:07.31.
"They set world records by wearing high-speed swimsuits. I'm raring to break those records some day," said the Japanese, who was hailed as "Frog King" for his feats at the Beijing Games.
"I want to hear them say, 'What were those high-speed swimsuits after all?' Then, I'll say, 'Give me a break. Now, you know the power of human beings.'"
High-tech, high-speed "sharkskin" swimsuits, which helped shatter dozens of world records in Beijing and Rome, were banned at the start of 2010.
Kitajima, who moved his training base to Los Angeles in April 2009, won the 100m and 200m at the Pan Pacific championships in August last year by beating Rickard and Sprenger.
"I realised that I still had chances to compete globally," said the Japanese, who has changed his swimming style after the Beijing Games where he tried to reduce the number of strokes in order to swim faster.
"I have a different kick and the number of my strokes has increased... I can still use my hands well and kick well," he said. "I'd thought my swimming style was perfect in Beijing. But I've come to believe I can expand my style."
Kitajima said he was shocked when on March 11, while training in Los Angeles, he watched an earthquake and tsunami devastate his home country on television.
He said he wished to cheer up people in the disaster zones. "It may be difficult to convey my feelings merely by swimming but it'll be great if they can share my high spirits."
Source http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jso5O__mvzHxgo4bNAuYDUB_0EHg?docId=CNG.897aaf456d2691082257863ec5125653.141
The 28-year-old Japanese told the daily Nikkan Sports that he was gearing up for the world swimming championships in Shanghai in July, hoping to win gold, although his real ambition was to get into the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
"I'm not just in it for the gold. I want to win an Olympic berth," Kitajima said as he prepared for this weekend's national trials for the Shanghai championships where the winners will get tickets to the London Games next year.
After defending his 100m and 200m Olympic titles in Beijing in 2008, Kitajima took a 15-month layoff, skipping the last 2009 world championships in Rome where both of his world records were shattered.
Brenton Rickard clocked 58.58secs in the 100m, breaking Kitajima's record of 58.91. Another Australian, Christian Sprenger, lowered the Japanese swimmer's 200m mark by 0.2 seconds to 2:07.31.
"They set world records by wearing high-speed swimsuits. I'm raring to break those records some day," said the Japanese, who was hailed as "Frog King" for his feats at the Beijing Games.
"I want to hear them say, 'What were those high-speed swimsuits after all?' Then, I'll say, 'Give me a break. Now, you know the power of human beings.'"
High-tech, high-speed "sharkskin" swimsuits, which helped shatter dozens of world records in Beijing and Rome, were banned at the start of 2010.
Kitajima, who moved his training base to Los Angeles in April 2009, won the 100m and 200m at the Pan Pacific championships in August last year by beating Rickard and Sprenger.
"I realised that I still had chances to compete globally," said the Japanese, who has changed his swimming style after the Beijing Games where he tried to reduce the number of strokes in order to swim faster.
"I have a different kick and the number of my strokes has increased... I can still use my hands well and kick well," he said. "I'd thought my swimming style was perfect in Beijing. But I've come to believe I can expand my style."
Kitajima said he was shocked when on March 11, while training in Los Angeles, he watched an earthquake and tsunami devastate his home country on television.
He said he wished to cheer up people in the disaster zones. "It may be difficult to convey my feelings merely by swimming but it'll be great if they can share my high spirits."
Source http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jso5O__mvzHxgo4bNAuYDUB_0EHg?docId=CNG.897aaf456d2691082257863ec5125653.141
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