Kosuke Kitajima

Infobox Swimmer
swimmername = Kosuke Kitajima


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fullname = Kosuke Kitajima
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nationality = JPN
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birthdate = birth date and age|1982|9|22
birthplace = Tokyo
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nihongo|Kosuke Kitajima|北島 康介|Kitajima Kōsuke|born September 22, 1982 in Tokyo is a Japanese world record holder and multiple Olympic gold medalist breaststroke swimmer. He won gold medals for the men's 100 m and 200 m breaststroke at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics. [cite news | last=Clarey | first=Christopher | title=Kitajima Completes Breaststroke Double, Again | date=August 13, 2008 | publisher=The New York Times | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/sports/olympics/14swimweb.html?hp]

Major achievements

Kitajima is a decorated swimmer in the world championships and the current world record holder in the 100 m breaststroke that he set in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is also bronze medal winner in the same Olympics in the 4×100 m medley relay. He edged out his main rival Brendan Hansen who finished disappointing fourth while Kitajima won the gold medal and set the new world record. Kitajima also holds the 200m world record.

He received four gold medals and two bronze medals in 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

Controversy

From the US standpoint when he edged out Brendan Hansen, American officials raised controversy about Kitajima's swimming style. On his breaststroke pull-out at every start and turn, some say that he moves his legs making a butterfly stroke-like movement, which was forbidden at the time of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Protests have been officially lodged against him for this (as done by the United States' swimming delegation at the 2004 Olympic Games), but he has never been disqualified from an important competition for this. Perhaps due to the controversial incident at 2004 Olympics, FINA has changed the rule of breaststroke to allow one butterfly-like leg motion after the start and each turn since the 2005 World Championships.Fact|date=August 2008

His most significant rival on the breaststroke is the American swimmer Brendan Hansen. They dueled at events such as the 2005 World Championships, 2004 Summer Olympics and 2003 World Championships. Kitajima set both world records for 100 m and 200 m breaststroke in the latter occasion. Later his best in 200 m was overcome by Dimitri Komornikov and then by Hansen, who also broke Kitajima's record in the 100 m. Kitajima regained the world record (58.91) in the 100 m at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Kitajima regained the 200 m breaststroke world record in June 2008 at the Japan Open. His time of 2:07.51 shaved nearly a second off the previous record of 2:08.50 set by Hansen in 2006. [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/swimming/news/story?id=3432029&campaign=rsssrch&source=swimming |title=Kitajima supplants American Hansen's world breaststroke mark |accessdate=2008-06-10 ]

During the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Kitajima generated buzz for his primal screams of exuberance after edging out Hansen in the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke for the gold. At a pool side interview [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj--2sueXpU (3'24")] following his victory in the 100 m, Kosuke Kitajima also popularised the phrase 'cho-kimochi-ii,' meaning "I feel mega good." The word went on to win the 2004 U-Can Neoligisms and Vogue Words contest. [cite web|url=http://www.jiyu.co.jp/singo/nendo/2004.html |title=2004 Annual Grand Prix |accessdate=2007-07-24 ]

Medals

* Gold Medal
** 100 m breaststroke – 2003 World Championships (long course) in Barcelona, Spain.
** 200 m breaststroke – 2003 World Championships (long course) in Barcelona, Spain.
** 100 m breaststroke – 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
** 200 m breaststroke – 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
** 200 m breaststroke – 2007 World Championships (long course) in Melbourne, Australia.
** 100 m breaststroke – world record - 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
** 200 m breaststroke – 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
* Silver Medal
** 100 m breaststroke – 2002 FINA Short Course World Championships (short course) in Moscow, Russia.
** 100 m breaststroke – 2007 World Championships (long course) in Melbourne, Australia.
* Bronze Medal
** 100 m breaststroke – 2001 World Championships (long course) in Fukuoka, Japan.
** 4×100 m Medley – 2003 World Championships (long course) in Barcelona, Spain.
** 4×100 m Medley – 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
** 4×100 m Medley – 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Personal bests

In long course swim pools Kitajima's bests are:

* 100 m breaststroke: 58.91 World Record (11th August 2008)
* 200 m breaststroke: 2:07.51 World Record (8th June 2008)

ee also

* World record progression 100 metres breaststroke
* World record progression 200 metres breaststroke

References

* [http://www.worldwhoswho.com/views/entry.html?id=sl1128936 KITAJIMA, Kosuke] International Who's Who. accessed September 4, 2006.

External links

* http://www.frogtown.jp/ Kitajima Kosuke Official Website jp icon