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Ippei WATANABE
Sport Swimming
NOC Japan   
GenderMen
Born18 Mar 1997 in Tsukumi, JPN
Height1.93 m
 Human Interest 
Sport Specific Information
Club / Team
Toyota Motor Corporation: Japan
Further Personal Information
Higher education
Sports Science - Waseda University: Tokyo, JPN
Sport Specific Information
Why this sport?
He was encouraged to try the sport by his sister and another relative. He was inspired to focus on swimming after watching Japanese swimmer Kosuke Kitajima win gold in the 100m breaststroke at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
General Interest
Hero / Idol
US swimmer Michael Phelps. (hochi.news, 17 Jul 2019)
Awards and honours
In 2021 he carried the Olympic torch during the relay ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. His leg of the relay was in Tsukumi, Japan. (nishinippon.co.jp, 25 Apr 2021)

In 2019 he was given the Kozuki Sports Award by the Kozuki Foundation in Japan. (kozuki-foundation.or.jp, 04 Sep 2019)

He received the Big Sports Broadcast Encouragement Award at the 2018 TV Asahi Big Sports Awards Ceremony in Japan. (TV Asahi YouTube channel, 15 Jan 2019)

He received an Excellence Award at the Japan Aquatics Awards in 2017 and 2018. (tobiuojapan.org, 23 Jan 2018; swim.or.jp, 29 Jan 2018)

He was presented with the Big Sports Award at the 2017 TV Asahi Big Sports Awards Ceremony in Japan. (nikkansports.com, 11 Jan 2018)
Sport Specific Information
Name of coach
Takayuki Umehara [national]; Naoki Takashiro [personal]
When and where did you begin this sport?
He began the sport at age seven in Tsukumi, Japan.
Further Personal Information
Occupation
Athlete
Languages
Japanese
General Interest
Injuries
He sustained a lower back injury in February 2023. (olympics.com, 08 Apr 2023)

In early 2022 he suffered a left knee injury after falling on snow. The injury forced him to miss the national trials for the 2022 World Championships. (sankei.com, 05 Oct 2022)

He was troubled by an injury to his left knee ahead of the 2018 All Japan Championships. (the-ans.jp, 26 Jul 2018)

He sprained his right ankle while playing volleyball in December 2017 and was unable to swim for one month. (nikkansports.com, 11 Jan 2018; the-ans.jp, 26 Jul 2018)
Hobbies
Watching films. (hochi.news, 17 Jul 2019)
Nicknames
Matchstick, Ippei-chan (hochi.news, 30 Mar 2021)
Ambitions
To set a world record in the 200m breaststroke, and to win gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (toyotatimes.jp, 22 Mar 2023; nishinippon.co.jp, 25 Apr 2021; sports.gazoo.com, 09 Mar 2021)

 Competition Highlights
Olympic Games
Rank Year Venue Event Result
Heats 2016 Rio de Janeiro, BRA 100m Breaststroke 1:00.33
6 2016 Rio de Janeiro, BRA 200m Breaststroke 2:07.87
World Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
6 2023 Fukuoka, JPN 200m Breaststroke 2:08.78
Heats 2023 Fukuoka, JPN 100m Breaststroke 1:00.28
7 2023 Fukuoka, JPN 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:45.33
3 2019 Gwangju, KOR 200m Breaststroke 2:06.73
3 2017 Budapest, HUN 200m Breaststroke 2:07.47
Heats 2017 Budapest, HUN 100m Breaststroke 1:00.26
World Championships Short Course
Rank Year Venue Event Result
4 2022 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 200m Breaststroke 2:02.53
Semifinal 2022 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 100m Breaststroke 57.27
4 2022 Melbourne, VIC, AUS 4 x 100m Medley Relay  
World Cup
Rank Year Venue Event Result
7 2019 Berlin, GER 100m Breaststroke 1:01.13
2 2019 Berlin, GER 200m Breaststroke 2:09.86
7 2019 Budapest, HUN 100m Breaststroke 1:01.36
3 2019 Budapest, HUN 200m Breaststroke 2:11.47
72 2018   Overall Ranking  
6 2018 Tokyo, JPN 100m Breaststroke 57.73
4 2018 Tokyo, JPN 200m Individual Medley 1:54.34
3 2018 Tokyo, JPN 400m Individual Medley 4:03.52
8 2018 Tokyo, JPN 200m Breaststroke 2:06.37
4 2017 Tokyo, JPN 400m Individual Medley 4:05.35
7 2017 Tokyo, JPN 100m Breaststroke 57.89
4 2017 Tokyo, JPN 200m Individual Medley 1:55.38
2 2016 Hong Kong, CHN 200m Breaststroke 2:04.41
6 2016 Hong Kong, CHN 400m Individual Medley 4:11.40
4 2016 Hong Kong, CHN 100m Breaststroke 59.37
6 2016 Hong Kong, CHN 200m Individual Medley 1:59.99
2 2016 Singapore, SGP 200m Breaststroke 2:03.23
3 2016 Singapore, SGP 400m Individual Medley 4:08.55
5 2016 Singapore, SGP 100m Breaststroke 58.32
4 2016 Singapore, SGP 200m Individual Medley 1:57.18
2 2016 Tokyo, JPN 200m Breaststroke 2:03.56
4 2016 Tokyo, JPN 100m Breaststroke 57.81
47 2014   Overall  
3 2014 Tokyo, JPN 200m Breaststroke 2:04.46
3 2014 Tokyo, JPN 100m Breaststroke 58.30
5 2013 Tokyo, JPN 200m Breaststroke 2:06.94
Asian Championships
Rank Year Venue Event Result
1 2016 Tokyo, JPN 200m Breaststroke 2:08.19
1 2016 Tokyo, JPN 100m Breaststroke 59.99
2 2016 Tokyo, JPN 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:35.48
Asian Games
Rank Year Venue Event Result
5 2023 Hangzhou, CHN 100m Breaststroke 1:01.36
3 2023 Hangzhou, CHN 200m Breaststroke 2:09.91
6 2023 Hangzhou, CHN 50m Breaststroke 28.23
2 2023 Hangzhou, CHN 4 x 100m Medley Relay 3:44.64
2 2018 Jakarta, INA 200m Breaststroke 2:07.82
4 2018 Jakarta, INA 100m Breaststroke 1:00.15
2 2018 Jakarta, INA 4 x 100m Medley Relay  
2 2018 Jakarta, INA 4 x 100m Medley Relay