By Hideki Mochizuki
YOKOHAMA, April 21. WORLD and Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima was upset today in the 200-meter breaststroke on the first day of the 81st Japanese National Championships, which also serves as the Trials for selecting the Japanese team that will compete at the World Championships in Montreal in July. As a result, he missed making Japan's World Championship team in this event.
Kitajima wound up finishing third in 2:13.26. Under standards established by the national federation, a swimmer must finish first or second and swim 2:13.19 or faster to make the national team,
Kitajima's splits were 29.89 1:03.62 1:37.95 and 2:13.26. Right after the race, Kitajima said, "it was hard for me. Maybe it was a lack of training. This is what I have right now. I will do my best in the 100 meters."
The winner in this event was Genki Imamura with 2:11.70. He split 30.10 1:03.69 and 1:37.77, taking the lead from Kitajima at 150m. Fired up when he passed the Olympic champion, Imamura sprinted the final lap to record a PB of 2:11.70, more than a second under his previous best of 2:12.78.
Placing second was Daisuke Kimura with 2:13.02.
Imamura said, "I thought Kosuke was not going to be good today judging from the heat swim, so I thought I had a chance to beat him tonight. I have been frustrated to hear people say that Kitajima has no rival in Japan. Now I feel better."