His Baseball Career Behind, Japan’s Shoon Mitsunaga Hitting Home Runs in the Pool
There was a time when Shoon Mitsunaga envisioned a professional career in a different sport. In high school, he excelled as a two-way athlete, hitting cleanup on the baseball diamond while also flourishing in the pool. These days, the water is his sole athletic domain, and while he might miss launching home runs, Mitsunaga has established himself as a major international factor in the 100-meter freestyle.
At last week’s Asian Games in Tokyo, Mitsunaga earned a trio of medals to generate momentum for the back half of the Olympic Quad, the 2028 Games in Los Angeles a target for the 21-year-old from Japan. In the 100 butterfly, Mitsunaga captured the gold medal with a personal-best performance of 50.56, fast enough to fend off silver medalist Xu Fang (50.73) of China. Mitsunaga’s time was not far off the Asian record in the event, the 50.39 that handed Singapore’s Joseph Schooling the title at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Mitsunaga added three other medals to his collection, as he was the silver medalist in the 50 butterfly (23.06) and 400 medley relay, and took bronze as a member of his country’s 400 freestyle relay. The 400 medley relay saw Mitsunaga deliver a butterfly split of 49.74, an effort helped Japan set a national record.
“I was hitting well in practice games, but there were times when I couldn’t get my swing right,” Mitsunaga said of his baseball career. “I was confident that I could improve more in swimming and have a better chance to reach the world stage than in baseball.”
Mitsunaga has succeeded in that pursuit. With an Asian Games crown in the 100 butterfly, the blossoming Japanese star can move toward next year’s World Championships in Budapest with confidence, and with the hope of challening some of the sport’s premier stars. By clocking 50.56, Mitsuanaga ranks in the top-10 in the world, and his sub-50 outing in the medley relay was further proof he can produce on a big stage.
While Mitsunaga initially wanted to continue as a two-sport athlete, he was convinced by coach Yusuke Takahashi that he had untapped ability in the pool. Obviously, that potential has emerged, with Mitsunaga launching himself onto the world stage. Prior to the Asian Games, Mitsunaga was fourth in the 100 butterfly and eighth in the 50 fly at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California.
Mitsunaga’s rise has not been without its challenges. In addition to battling anxiety while balancing both baseball and swimming, Mitsunaga was dealt a four-month suspension last year for a doping violation related to the asthma medication he was taking. The suspension ended in March, allowing Mitsunaga to qualify for the Pan Pacific Champs and Asian Games. Now, he’s chasing bigger goals.
“I need more experience to compete on the world stage,” he told the Japan News. “I also have to overcome technical deficiencies…I have a lot to do, but I feel I’ve progressed. I always keep other world-class athletes in mind and want to aim for an Olympic medal.”