Japan teenager Ohashi smashes 200m breaststroke world record

Japanese teenager Shin Ohashi shattered the men's 200m breaststroke world record at the Asian Games on Thursday, clocking in at 2 minutes and 4.83 seconds. The 17-year-old eclipsed the previous record of 2:05.48, set by China's Qin Haiyang in July 2023. Qin's record had remained unbeaten since then. The new mark represents a significant improvement of over half a second over Qin's previous time.

Ohashi, who had already secured the 100m breaststroke gold in Tokyo, expressed his joy at breaking the world record, stating, "A lot happened before this competition but a lot of people helped me get to this point and I am very grateful to them." He finished an impressive 3.84 seconds ahead of silver medallist Denis Petrashov of Kyrgyzstan.

The Japanese teen's dominant performance from the start saw him dictate the pace, leaving his competitors trailing behind. Looking ahead, Ohashi has set his sights on winning gold at next year's world championships before aiming for Olympic glory in Los Angeles two years from now. He reiterated his desire to feel the same emotions again, emphasizing that he is not content with his current achievement and remains hungry for more success.

Qin Haiyang, the previous world record holder, did not participate in the 200m breaststroke event at the Asian Games this year.