Shin Ohashi Poised for Spectacular Performances at World Junior Championships
The winning time in the 200-meter breaststroke at the World Championships in Singapore was 2:07.41, courtesy of China’s Qin Haiyang. While the effort got the job done for Qin, it was well off his world record of 2:05.48 and might be slower than what wins the 200 breast at this week’s World Junior Championships.
Already this year, Japan’s Shin Ohashi has clocked 2:06.91 in the 200 breaststroke, good for a world junior record. That time makes Ohashi the No. 10 performer in history, and the 16-year-old is just starting to flash what he can do. At World Juniors, which begin Tuesday in Romania, Ohashi could further his reputation as the future of the event.
At the Japanese Trials for the World Championships, Ohashi finished fourth in the 200 breaststroke, leaving him shy of a berth to the World Champs. But over the course of the next few months, the teenager consistently improved, going 2:09 and 2:08, before popping a 2:07.27 performance ahead of his current world junior record, which came against high school competition. Given his progression arc, it seems likely Ohashi will produce another career best in the coming days.
The 200 breaststroke has been lackluster this year. In addition to uninspiring times at Worlds, the event was missing reigning Olympic champion Leon Marchand and former world-record holder Zac Stubblety-Cook. Marchand opted out of the 200 breast while focusing on the individual medley events, a decision that paid off with a world record in the 200 IM. As for Stubblety-Cook, the Australian was forced out of Worlds with a back injury.
Ohashi can reinvigorate the event.
Three years out from the start of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the sport is always looking for intriguing storylines and Ohashi can fill that role. Japanese breaststroke has a rich tradition and Ohashi has established himself as a can’t-miss talent, and not just over four laps. He also owns the world junior record in the 100 breaststroke at 58.94, which isn’t far off the 58.88 managed by Denis Petrashov for the bronze medal at the World Champs.
Ohashi is also entered in the 50 breaststroke and will see duty on Japanese medley relays. But the focus will be on his outings in the 100 and 200 distances, and how his times measure up to what was registered at the World Championships. If Ohashi somehow goes 2:06-low, analysis will take off concerning an eventual push for the world record.
The talent of Ohashi is stunning, and it won’t be a surprise if he drops some big-time performances at World Juniors, generating greater excitement on the road to LA28.
