Kitajima kosuke biography of rory

Kosuke Kitajima has won back-to-back Olympic titles in both the and m breaststroke. In Beijing, he became the first repeat breaststroke winner in 76 years, succeeding his compatriot Yoshiyuki Tsuruta. Kitajima has had a long rivalry with his American opponent Brendan Hansen, whom he beat at both the and Olympics, as well as at the World Championships (2 times). Hansen in turn beat the Japanese swimmer at the World Championships, and both took one title in Since their rise to the top in , the two have also been fighting for the World Record in both breaststroke events, with Kitajima obtaining both in Kitajima, who in became the first Japanese World Champion in swimming, made the news prior to the Beijing Olympics when he denied wearing swimsuits from his sponsor, Mizuno, instead favoring the supposedly faster Speedo suits.

Results

GamesDiscipline (Sport) / EventNOC / TeamPosMedalAs
Summer OlympicsSwimming (Aquatics)JPNKosuke Kitajima
metres Breaststroke, Men(Olympic)4
metres Breaststroke, Men(Olympic)17
Summer OlympicsSwimming (Aquatics)JPNKosuke Kitajima
metres Breaststroke, Men(Olympic)1Gold
metres Breaststroke, Men(Olympic)1Gold
4 × metres Medley Relay, Men(Olympic)Japan3Bronze
Summer OlympicsSwimming (Aquatics)JPNKosuke Kitajima
metres Breaststroke, Men(Olympic)1Gold
metres Breaststroke, Men(Olympic)1Gold
4 × metres Medley Relay, Men(Olympic)Japan3Bronze
Summer OlympicsSwimming (Aquatics)JPNKosuke Kitajima
metres Breaststroke, Men(Olympic)5
metres Breaststroke, Men(Olympic)4
4 × metres Medley Relay, Men(Olympic)Japan2Silver

Other participations

Special Notes

  • Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Long Course Swimming ( m breaststroke – 21 July - 8 July and 11 August - 27 July (21 July ; Barcelona, ESP), (11 August ; Beijing, CHN); m breaststroke – 2 October - 15 June , 24 July - 11 July , and 8 June - 30 July (2 October ; Busan, KOR), (24 July ; Barcelona, ESP), (8 June ; Tokyo, JPN))
  • Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships (3–3–1 Yokohama gold: m breaststroke; Victoria silver: m breaststroke and 4× m medley relay, bronze: m breaststroke; Irvine gold: m breaststroke and m breaststroke, silver: 4× m medley relay)
  • Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Aquatics Championships (3–4–5 Fukuoka SWI bronze: m breaststroke; Barcelona SWI gold: m breaststroke and m breaststroke, bronze: 4× m medley relay; Montréal SWI silver: m breaststroke, bronze: 50 m breaststroke and 4× m medley relay; Melbourne SWI gold: m breaststroke, silver: m breaststroke and 4× m medley relay; Shanghai SWI silver: m breaststroke; Barcelona SWI bronze: 4× m medley relay)
  • Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Short-Course Swimming Championships (25 m) (0–1–0 Moskva silver: m breaststroke)
  • Listed in Olympic Swimmers - Doubles Champions, Same Year ( / / Breaststroke Champion.)
  • Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the Asian Games (7–1–0 Busan SWM gold: m breaststroke, m breaststroke, and 4× m medley relay; Doha SWM gold: m breaststroke, m breaststroke, and 4× m medley relay, silver: 50 m breaststroke; Guangzhou SWM gold: 4× m medley relay (swam in heats only))