'Genius' Ohashi bids for third Asian Games gold after world record
TOKYO: Japanese teenager Shin Ohashi moved closer to a hat-trick of Asian Games breaststroke golds after qualifying for the 50m final on Friday, the morning after smashing the 200m world record.
Japanese teen swimmer Shin Ohashi is on track to win his third Asian Games gold medal after breaking the world record in the 200m breaststroke. The 17-year-old clocked an impressive 2 minutes and 4.83 seconds, surpassing China's Qin Haiyang's previous record by more than half a second. This victory marked Ohashi's second gold of the Games, following his win in the 100m breaststroke.
Ohashi's remarkable performance has put him on the radar as a potential contender for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where he could face French superstar Leon Marchand. The teenager, who contracted Covid just before the Games, expressed his excitement about the upcoming final and his determination to perform even better. Qin Haiyang, who previously held the world record, praised Ohashi's talent and acknowledged him as a genius.
Ohashi's teammate Ippei Watanabe also lauded the young swimmer, saying he couldn't stop watching Ohashi's swim on YouTube and was likely to have slept less than him.
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