Kitajima Named Japan’s “Athlete of the Year” for Second Straight Year

TOYKO, Japan, December 18. WORLD breaststroke champion Kosuke Kitajima on Wednesday became the first back-to-back winner of the Japan Sports Award's Grand Prix, given annually to the best performance by an amateur athlete or team during the year, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported today.

"I'm very happy to receive this award," said Kitajima. "This is because I could acheive good results this year on top of the world records that were so well regarded a year ago."

The latest award comes on top of Kitajima's selection as "Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year" by Swimming World magazine. The "Pocket Rocket" also finished second, behind the USA's Michael Phelps, in the voting for "World Swimmer of the Year."

Kitajima will grace the cover of the February 2004 issue of Swimming World.

For the Japanese honor, the Japan Sports Award selection committee members met at Tokyo's Yomiuri Shimbun head office and voted unanimously for the 21-year-old, who established world records in both the men's 100- and 200-meter breaststroke last July at the world championships in Barcelona.

He clocked 59.78 seconds in 100 breaststroke and 2:09.42 in the 200.

The award committee rated Kitajima highest among 34 candidates nominated by their respective national associations because his feats in Barcelona had a great impact on other amateur athletes, and would eventually produce many future candidates for the 53-year-old award.

Kitajima who returned to Japan on December 16 following a training trip to Flagstaff, Arizona, where he trained at an altitude of 2,100 meters, plans to participate in a short-course World Cup event in January.

Also nominated for the most prestigious award were gymnast Takehiro Kashima, who earned two gold medals at the world championships in Anaheim, Calif.; women's world judo champion Ryoko Tamura, who clinched her sixth straight title in 48-kg class; Shingo Suetsugu, who became the first Japanese medalist in sprint event at the world athletics championships; and Ai Miyazato, who became the first amateur golfer to win a Japan LPGA tour event in 30 years.

The women's wrestling squad, which took home five gold medals out of seven weight classes at the world championships, was named the most valuable team.

At an award ceremony in late January, Kitajima will receive a trophy and the Japan Swimming Federation will receive 2 million yen.

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