For the two-time Olympian, it was now or never Daiya Seto – and he rose to the challenge.
The four-time world champion finally clinched a spot* for the 2024 Paris Games on Saturday (March 23) in the final race of the Japan Swimming Trials, the 200m individual medley.
Seto took first place at the Tokyo Aquatics Center with a time of 1:56.87, well below his qualifying time of 1:57.51.runner-up So Ogata It was heartbreaking to cross the finish line just 0.01 seconds behind.
“I've done many races like this with my back against the wall, so to be honest, I wasn't nervous or panicked. It was more like, 'Let's do it again.'” Seto, who turned 29 in May, is currently undergoing the following training. michael ball and Janelle Pallister together with australia Rikako Ikee.
“I just tried to enjoy it and I was able to do it. I had fun even under pressure. Because of my long career, I've been through a lot.
“Next time, I want to break my personal record on a much bigger stage than this, which is the Olympics.''
of rio 2016 The bronze medalist missed his qualifying time not only in the 200m butterfly but also in his favorite race, the 400m IM. His hopes of competing in his third and possibly last Olympics were realized on the penultimate day of the Games.
But Seto got the job done. He remained steady throughout the race, pulling off the breaststroke as planned and contacting the wall one second behind his personal best.
Having earned a seat at the table, Seto has already set his sights on summer.
“I would like to thank everyone for their patience as we left it until the last race,” he said. “I definitely failed in the 400m, but I had done what I needed to do in training, so I was confident.
“Today was something I had to do to qualify for the Olympics. Leave it to me this summer.”
*****National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority to represent their countries at the Olympic Games, so athletes' participation in the Paris Games depends on whether the NOC selects athletes for their delegations to the Paris 2024 Games. I am.
