Breaststroke master Kitajima secured Japan's legacy in the discipline when he won gold in the men's individual 100 and 200m at back-to-back Olympics in 2004 and 2008. "Once I left swimming and the two Japanese boys came up and did well, that was a source of pride for me," Kitajima told Reuters. It makes me incredibly happy and for me it's really about what the actual time will be when Tokyo comes." With their 200m prospects enhanced in Budapest, the Japanese duo could now face one of swimming's hottest talents in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Games. Watanabe, who owns the 200m breaststroke world record, underlined the symbolic importance of the event after winning his Budapest bronze.

Source: The Star July 31, 2017 07:41 UTC