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Kosuke Kitajima

Personal information
Full name	Kosuke Kitajima
Nationality	Japan
Stroke(s)	Breaststroke
Date of birth	September 22, 1982 (1982-09-22) (age 27)
Place of birth	Tokyo
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	73 kg (160 lb; 11.5 st)
Medal record Men's Swimming Competitor for  Japan Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens[1] 100 m breaststroke Gold 2004 Athens 200 m breaststroke Gold 2008 Beijing 100 m breaststroke Gold 2008 Beijing 200 m breaststroke Bronze 2004 Athens 4×100 m medley Bronze 2008 Beijing 4×100 m medley World Championships (LC) Gold 2003 Barcelona 100 m breaststroke Gold 2003 Barcelona 200 m breaststroke Gold 2007 Melbourne 200 m breaststroke Silver 2005 Montreal[2] 100 m breaststroke Silver 2007 Melbourne[3] 100 m breaststroke Silver 2007 Melbourne 4×100 m medley Bronze 2001 Fukuoka 200 m breaststroke Bronze 2003 Barcelona 4×100 m medley Bronze 2005 Montreal 50 m breaststroke Bronze 2005 Montreal 4×100 m medley World Championships (SC) Silver 2002 Moscow[4] 100 m breaststroke Pan Pacific Championships Gold 2002 Yokohanma 100 m breaststroke Silver 2006 Victoria 200 m breaststroke Silver 2006 Victoria 4×100 m medley Bronze 2006 Victoria 100 m breaststroke Asian Games Gold 2002 Busan[5] 100 m breaststroke Gold 2002 Busan 200m breaststroke Gold 2002 Busan 4×100 m medley Gold 2006 Doha 100 m breaststroke Gold 2006 Doha 200 m breaststroke Gold 2006 Doha 4×100 m medley Silver 2006 Doha 50 m breaststroke

In this Japanese name, the family name is Kitajima.

Kosuke Kitajima (北島 康介, Kitajima Kōsuke ^?, born September 22, 1982 in Tokyo) is a Japanese multiple Olympic gold medalist breaststroke swimmer. He won gold medals for the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics.^[6]

Major achievements

Kitajima is a decorated swimmer in the world championships and was the world record holder in the 100 m breaststroke that he set in the 2008 Beijing Olympics - this mark has since been bettered by Brenton Rickard. He is also bronze medal winner in the same Olympics in the 4×100 m medley relay. He edged out his main rival Brendan Hansen who finished disappointing fourth while Kitajima won the gold medal and set the new world record.

He received four gold medals and two bronze medals in 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

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.^[7]

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.^[8]

Medals

• 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 – world record - 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
  • 200 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.
  • 4×100 m Medley – 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Personal bests

In long course swim pools Kitajima's bests are:

• 100 m breaststroke: 58.91 (11 August 2008)
• 200 m breaststroke: 2:07.51 (8 June 2008)

See also

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

References

External links

• http://www.frogtown.jp/ Kitajima Kosuke Official Website (Japanese)

Records
Preceded by Mike Barrowman	Men's 200 metre breaststroke world record holder (long course) October 2, 2002 – June 15, 2003	Succeeded by Dimitri Komornikov
Preceded by Dimitri Komornikov	Men's 200 metre breaststroke world record holder (long course) July 24, 2003 – July 11, 2004	Succeeded by Brendan Hansen
Preceded by Brendan Hansen	Men's 200 metre breaststroke world record holder (long course) June 8, 2008 – July 30, 2009	Succeeded by Christian Sprenger
Preceded by Brendan Hansen	Men's 100 metre breaststroke world record holder (long course) August 11, 2008 – July 27, 2009	Succeeded by Brenton Rickard
Awards
Preceded by Ian Thorpe	World Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year 2003	Succeeded by Ian Thorpe
Preceded by Tae Hwan Park	World Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year 2007	Succeeded by Incumbent