Shin Ohashi, 17, smashes 200m breaststroke world record days after Covid fever
Shin Ohashi is the fastest 200-metre breaststroker in history. The 17-year-old from Japan won gold at the Asian Games in Tokyo on Thursday 24 September in 2 minutes 4.83 seconds, a world record The Guardian.
He took more than half a second off the old mark. That record had belonged to China's Qin Haiyang since July 2023.
The winning margin told its own story. Denis Petrashov of Kyrgyzstan took silver, 3.84 seconds behind Ohashi. In a 200-metre race, that is clear water. Several body lengths.
Days earlier, this swim looked unlikely. Ohashi had Covid and a temperature of about 39C just days before racing began in Tokyo. He still lined up for the 100 metres first.
He won that too. Ohashi shared gold in the 100m breaststroke with China's Dong Zhihao in a dead heat, both touching in exactly the same time. Qin finished third in that race, according to earlier reporting Taipei Times.
Japan knows this stroke. Kosuke Kitajima won the 100m-200m breaststroke double at the 2004 Athens Olympics, then did it again at Beijing 2008. Ohashi is now adding his own line to that history at 17.
He is not finished in Tokyo. Ohashi is scheduled to swim the 50m breaststroke on Friday, the sprint over one length where the start and the touch decide everything.
What makes this stand out is the combination. A teenager, days after fever, breaking a world record by a big slice and winning by almost four seconds. Junior speed does not always last. This one now sits on top of the senior record books.
