Kosuke Kitajima

Kosuke Kitajima

File:Kosuke JAP.jpg Kosuke Kitajima on a Japanese book about swimming training
Personal information
Full name	Kosuke Kitajima
Nationality	Japan
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Medal record Men's Swimming Representing Japan Olympic Games 2004 Athens 100 m Breaststroke 2004 Athens 200 m Breaststroke 2008 Beijing 100 m Breaststroke 2004 Athens 4x100 m Medley World Championships 2003 Barcelona 100 m Breaststroke 2003 Barcelona 200 m Breaststroke 2007 Melbourne 200 m Breaststroke 2005 Montreal 100 m Breaststroke 2007 Melbourne 100 m Breaststroke 2007 Melbourne 4x100 m Medley 2001 Fukuoka 200 m Breaststroke 2003 Barcelona 4x100 m Medley 2005 Montreal 50 m Breaststroke 2005 Montreal 4x100 m Medley World Championships - Short Course 2002 Moscow 100 m Breaststroke Pan Pacific Championships 2006 Victoria 200 m Breaststroke 2006 Victoria 4x100 m Medley 2006 Victoria 100 m Breaststroke Asian Games 2002 Busan 200m Breastroke

Kosuke Kitajima (北島 康介, Kitajima Kōsuke, born September 22, 1982 in Tokyo) is a Japanese breaststroke swimmer. He has a height of 177 centimeters and a weight of 71 kilograms. He first made history by being the first swimmer to set a new world record at the Asian Games when he did so in the 200m breastroke in 2002 at Busan. He won gold medals for the Men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke in the 2004 Summer Olympics, and defended his title in 100 m breaststroke in 2008 setting a new world record in the process.

There is a 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 logged 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.

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.

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.

Major achievements

• 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 – 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.

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

• World record progression 100 metres breaststroke
• World record progression 200 metres breaststroke

References

• KITAJIMA, Kosuke International Who's Who. accessed September 4, 2006.

External links

• http://www.frogtown.jp/ Kitajima Kosuke Official Website Template:Jp icon

Template:S-awards