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--- Lane 9 News ---
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Kitajima Looking to Bounce Back in Melbourne -- February 15, 2007
TOKYO, Japan, February 15. A little more than a month away from the World Championships in Melbourne, Japan's Kosuke Kitajima is confident he can regain the form he's been missing since the 2004 Olympics in Athens. For the last two years, Kitajima has fallen from his breaststroke perch as a world-record holder. Simultaneously, American Brendan Hansen has taken the breast events to new heights.
"Last year I didn't do anything record-wise but I did some good work that really blew out the cobwebs," Kitajima told Reuters. "I've been swimming at a high pace I haven't done before in training."
Although Kitajima knocked off Hansen in the 100 and 200 breast events in Athens, Hansen has owned the stroke since. He beat Kitajima in the 100 breast at the 2005 World Champs and Hansen whipped Kitajima in the 100 and 200 distances at last summer's Pan Pacific Champs. Hansen owns world records of 59.13 and 2:08.50. Whether Kitajima can reclaim his past form remains to be seen. His personal best in the 100 is nearly a half-second off Hansen's world record and his 200 breast best is nearly a second behind Hansen.
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