Kosuke Kitajima is a swimmer who has competed for Japan. He competed at the 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
Kitajima started his Olympic career as a 17-year-old in 2000. There, he almost snatched his first medal in the 100 metres breaststroke by 0.43 seconds and missed the semifinals in the 200 by a hundredth of a second (0.01).
Athens 2004 marked the peak of Kitajima's swimming career. He was renowned for his duel with Brendan Hansen in the breaststroke races, with Kitajima edging out the latter for the gold in the double (100 and 200). After winning the 100 metres breaststroke, Kitajima displayed an illegal dolphin kick at the pull-out, but he was not disqualified. The rules were changed less than a year later to allow for a single dolphin kick after the start and after each turn.
Four years later in Beijing, Kitajima set a new world record (58.91) to defend his title in the 100 metres breaststroke, clearing the 59-second barrier and beating Alexander Dale Oen by almost three tenths of a second (0.3). His winning streak continued, when he blasted a new Olympic record of 2:07.64 to retain his gold in the 200. With this feat, Kitajima joined Domenico Fioravanti as the only swimmers to strike a breaststroke double and the first to retain both titles at the Games.
Kitajima's streak for a third straight victory in the breaststroke double came to an end at his fourth Games in 2012, when he slipped off the podium to fifth in the 100 and fourth in the 200. He closed out his Olympic career by taking the silver as a breaststroke swimmer of the Japanese men's team in the 4x100 metres medley relay.
After missing the selection for his fifth Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Kitajima retired from competitive swimming at the end of the Japan Open trials in April 2016.
Olympic Results[]
Year | Event | Rank |
---|---|---|
2000 | Men's 100m breaststroke | 4th |
Men's 200m breaststroke | 17th | |
2004 | Men's 100m breaststroke | |
Men's 200m breaststroke | ||
Men's 4x100m medley relay | ||
2008 | Men's 100m breaststroke | |
Men's 200m breaststroke | ||
Men's 4x100m medley relay | ||
2012 | Men's 100m breaststroke | 5th |
Men's 200m breaststroke | 4th | |
Men's 4x100m medley relay |
2000[]
Discipline | Round | Time | |
---|---|---|---|
100 metres breaststroke | Heats | 1:01.68 | |
Semifinal | 1:01.31 | AR | |
Final | 1:01.34 | ||
200 metres breaststroke | Heats | 2:15.71 | |
Semifinal | Did not advance | ||
Final |
2004[]
Discipline | Round | Time | |
---|---|---|---|
100 metres breaststroke | Heats | 1:00.03 | OR |
Semifinal | 1:00.27 | ||
Final | 1:00.08 | ||
200 metres breaststroke | Heats | 2:11.97 | |
Semifinal | 2:10.86 | ||
Final | 2:09.44 | OR | |
4x100 metres medley relay | Heats | 3:37.04 (59.69 split) |
|
Final | 3:35.22 (59.35 split) |
AR |
2008[]
Discipline | Round | Time | |
---|---|---|---|
100 metres breaststroke | Heats | 59.52 | |
Semifinal | 59.55 | ||
Final | 58.91 | WR | |
200 metres breaststroke | Heats | 2:09.89 | |
Semifinal | 2:08.61 | OR | |
Final | 2:07.64 | OR | |
4x100 metres medley relay | Heats | 3:32.81 (58.79 split) |
AR |
Final | 3:31.18 (58.07 split) |
AR |
2012[]
Discipline | Round | Time |
---|---|---|
100 metres breaststroke | Heats | 59.63 |
Semifinal | 59.69 | |
Final | 59.79 | |
200 metres breaststroke | Heats | 2:09.43 |
Semifinal | 2:09.03 | |
Final | 2:08.35 | |
4x100 metres medley relay | Heats | 3:33.64 (59.47 split) |
Final | 3:31.26 (58.64 split) |