Japanese teen Shin Ohashi shatters 200m breaststroke world record at Asian Games

TOKYO: Japanese swimming sensation Shin Ohashi has announced himself on the world stage in spectacular fashion, smashing the men’s 200-metre breaststroke world record at the Asian Games on Thursday.

The 17-year-old produced a stunning performance to clock 2 minutes 04.83 seconds, taking more than half a second off the previous world record of 2:05.48 held by China’s Qin Haiyang since July 2023.

Ohashi’s performance was not only a record-breaking achievement but also another major milestone in what is already becoming a remarkable international career.

The Japanese teenager seized control of the race from the opening stages and maintained his pace throughout, effectively turning the contest into a battle against the clock. He eventually touched the wall 3.84 seconds ahead of Kyrgyzstan’s Denis Petrashov, who claimed the silver medal.

Reflecting on the achievement, Ohashi said breaking the world record had always been one of his major ambitions.

“My target has always been to break the world record and I’m so happy to have done it,” he said.

The record comes after an equally impressive week for Ohashi. Earlier in the Asian Games, he claimed gold in the men’s 100m breaststroke following a dramatic dead heat with China’s Dong Zhihao.

His latest victory strengthens his reputation as one of Japan’s brightest young swimming talents and puts him firmly in the spotlight ahead of the next major international competitions.

Ohashi also credited the people around him for helping him reach the milestone, saying many things had happened before the competition and expressing gratitude to those who supported him.

Despite achieving a world record at just 17, Ohashi insists he is not prepared to settle.

“I don’t want to be satisfied and I want to feel these emotions again,” he said.

His ambitions are already extending beyond the Asian Games. Ohashi said his immediate target is to win gold at next year’s world championships before setting his sights on Olympic success.

With the Los Angeles Olympics two years away, the Japanese teenager will now enter the global spotlight as one of the swimmers to watch.

Previous record-holder Qin Haiyang did not compete in the 200m breaststroke at this year’s Asian Games, leaving Ohashi with the opportunity to make history—and he seized it emphatically.

At only 17, Ohashi has already rewritten the world record books. His next challenge will be maintaining that extraordinary momentum on the road to the world’s biggest swimming stages.