 |
|
| Kanako
WATANABE |
| Sport |
Swimming |
| NOC |
Japan
|
| Gender | Women |
| Born | 15 Nov 1996
in Tokyo, JPN |
| Height | 1.67 m |
|
|
|
|
|
General Interest |
Hero / Idol |
Japanese swimmers Kosuke Kitajima, Satomi Suzuki and Natsumi Hoshi. (wasedasports.com, 15 May 2015; Swimming Magazine, 11 Apr 2013) |
Sport Specific Information |
Name of coach |
Tsuyoshi Kato [national], JPN; Akihiro Yamaguchi [personal], JPN, from 2021 |
When and where did you begin this sport? |
She began the sport at age four. |
Club / Team |
USM: Japan |
Further Personal Information |
Higher education |
Sports Science - Waseda University: Tokyo, JPN |
General Interest |
Injuries |
She fractured her left elbow during an athletics training session in August 2019. She underwent surgery and returned to competition in January 2020. (fina.org, 10 Apr 2021; nhk.or.jp, 05 Apr 2021; sanspo.com, 24 Jan 2020)
She sprained her right ankle during an athletics training session in December 2016, and returned to competitive action in February 2017. (fina.org, 10 Apr 2021; nikkansports.com, 15 Apr 2017)
In 2009 she suffered an injury to her right shoulder. (huffingtonpost.jp, 08 Aug 2016; news.livedoor.com, 28 Jun 2011) |
Sport Specific Information |
Why this sport? |
Her parents sent her to a swimming club to improve her health because she often got sick as a child. |
General Interest |
Ambitions |
To win a medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. After her retirement, she aspires to run a swimming school. (kanako-watanabe.com, 17 Feb 2023; sanspo.com, 16 Oct 2021; nikkansports.com, 08 Apr 2021, 12 Jul 2017; waseda.jp, 02 Oct 2018) |
Awards and honours |
She was given an Excellence Award at the 2018 and 2017 Japan Aquatics Awards. She was also named 2015 Swimmer of the Year at the Japan Aquatics Awards and received an Excellence Award at the 2015 Japanese Olympic Committee Sports Awards. (swim.or.jp, 29 Jan 2019; tobiuojapan.org, 23 Jan 2018; joc.or.jp, 03 May 2016; swim-media.com, 27 Jan 2016)
She received a Big Sports Special Award at the 2015 TV Asahi Big Sports Awards in Japan. (tv-asahi.co.jp, 15 Dec 2015)
She received the New Athlete Award at the 2011 Japanese Olympic Committee Sports Awards. (sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp, 12 Jun 2012) |
International Debut |
Year |
2011 |
Competing for |
Japan |
Further Personal Information |
Languages |
Japanese |
General Interest |
Most influential person in career |
Japanese swimmer Rie Kaneto and coach Yoshiaki Takemura. (nikkansports.com, 08 Apr 2021, 20 Aug 2018) |
Hobbies |
Painting her nails, spending time with friends. (waseda.jp, 02 Oct 2018) |
Other information |
RETIREMENT THOUGHTS
She considered retiring from swimming after she did not make the Japanese team for the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, Republic of Korea. She then had further thoughts about giving up the sport following the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, but ultimately decided to continue. "I didn't want to waste what I've done so far. That made me flick my switch on in the summer of 2020. I feel more positive than in the past." (nhk.or.jp, 05 Apr 2021; mainichi.jp, 10 Dec 2020)
BREASTSTROKE FOCUS
She switched her focus from individual medley to breaststroke after injuring her right shoulder when she was in high school. (waseda.jp, 02 Oct 2018; hochi.yomiuri.co.jp, 08 Apr 2012) |
Olympic Games |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 17 |
2021 |
Tokyo, JPN |
100m Breaststroke |
1:07.01 |
| 18 |
2021 |
Tokyo, JPN |
200m Breaststroke |
2:24.73 |
| 8 |
2021 |
Tokyo, JPN |
4 x 100m Medley Relay |
3:58.12 |
| Semifinal |
2016 |
Rio de Janeiro, BRA |
100m Breaststroke |
1:07.43 |
| Semifinal |
2016 |
Rio de Janeiro, BRA |
200m Breaststroke |
2:25.10 |
| 14 |
2012 |
London, ENG |
200m Breaststroke |
2:27.32 |
World Championships |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 2 |
2015 |
Kazan, RUS |
200m Individual Medley |
2:08.45 |
| 1 |
2015 |
Kazan, RUS |
200m Breaststroke |
2:21.15 |
| 4 |
2015 |
Kazan, RUS |
100m Breaststroke |
1:06.43 |
| 7 |
2015 |
Kazan, RUS |
4 x 100m Medley Relay |
DSQ |
| Heats |
2013 |
Barcelona, ESP |
100m Breaststroke |
1:09.28 |
| Semifinal |
2013 |
Barcelona, ESP |
200m Individual Medley |
2:11.50 |
World Championships Short Course |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 8 |
2018 |
Hangzhou, CHN |
100m Breaststroke |
1:05.34 |
| 4 |
2018 |
Hangzhou, CHN |
4 x 100m Medley Relay |
3:51.81 |
| Heats |
2014 |
Doha, QAT |
200m Individual Medley |
2:08.74 |
| 1 |
2014 |
Doha, QAT |
200m Breaststroke |
2:16.92 |
| Heats |
2014 |
Doha, QAT |
50m Breaststroke |
30.91 |
| Semifinal |
2014 |
Doha, QAT |
100m Breaststroke |
1:05.21 |
| 3 |
2014 |
Doha, QAT |
4 x 100m Medley Relay |
3:50.50 |
| 3 |
2012 |
Istanbul, TUR |
200m Breaststroke |
2:19.39 |
| Heats |
2012 |
Istanbul, TUR |
50m Breaststroke |
31.52 |
| Semifinal |
2012 |
Istanbul, TUR |
100m Individual Medley |
1:00.16 |
| 6 |
2012 |
Istanbul, TUR |
4 x 100m Medley Relay |
3:54.73 |
| 7 |
2012 |
Istanbul, TUR |
4 x 100m Freestyle Relay |
|
World Cup Short Course |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 50 |
2017 |
|
Overall |
|
| 3 |
2017 |
Tokyo, JPN |
100m Breaststroke |
1:04.99 |
| 8 |
2016 |
Hong Kong, CHN |
100m Breaststroke |
1:09.55 |
| 4 |
2016 |
Hong Kong, CHN |
100m Individual Medley |
1:00.20 |
| 7 |
2016 |
Singapore, SGP |
100m Breaststroke |
1:06.95 |
| 8 |
2016 |
Singapore, SGP |
100m Individual Medley |
1:03.87 |
| 3 |
2016 |
Singapore, SGP |
200m Breaststroke |
2:21.50 |
| 4 |
2014 |
Tokyo, JPN |
200m Individual Medley |
2:08.50 |
| 7 |
2014 |
Tokyo, JPN |
50m Breaststroke |
31.06 |
| 5 |
2014 |
Tokyo, JPN |
100m Individual Medley |
59.57 |
| 3 |
2013 |
Doha, QAT |
100m Breaststroke |
1:06.03 |
| 7 |
2013 |
Doha, QAT |
50m Breaststroke |
31.55 |
| 1 |
2013 |
Doha, QAT |
200m Breaststroke |
2:18.90 |
| 2 |
2013 |
Doha, QAT |
4 x 50m Medley Relay |
1:42.25 |
| 3 |
2013 |
Doha, QAT |
4 x 50m Freestyle Relay |
1:33.80 |
| 5 |
2013 |
Dubai, UAE |
100m Breaststroke |
1:07.04 |
| 5 |
2013 |
Dubai, UAE |
200m Individual Medley |
2:10.14 |
| 2 |
2013 |
Dubai, UAE |
4 x 50m Medley Relay |
1:43.15 |
| 1 |
2013 |
Dubai, UAE |
4 x 50m Freestyle Relay |
1:32.52 WR |
| 4 |
2013 |
Moscow, RUS |
100m Breaststroke |
1:06.82 |
| 3 |
2013 |
Moscow, RUS |
200m Breaststroke |
2:20.27 |
| 3 |
2013 |
Moscow, RUS |
4 x 50m Medley Relay |
1:46.36 |
| 3 |
2013 |
Moscow, RUS |
4 x 50m Freestyle Relay |
1:33.48 |
| 6 |
2013 |
Tokyo, JPN |
100m Breaststroke |
1:06.35 |
| 41 |
2011 |
|
Overall |
|
| 1 |
2011 |
Beijing, CHN |
200m Breaststroke |
2:19.05 |
| 1 |
2011 |
Berlin, GER |
200m Breaststroke |
2:20.03 |
| 1 |
2011 |
Moscow, RUS |
200m Breaststroke |
2:20.94 |
| 1 |
2011 |
Singapore, SGP |
200m Breaststroke |
2:20.32 |
| 3 |
2011 |
Stockholm, SWE |
100m Individual Medley |
1:01.30 |
| 3 |
2011 |
Tokyo, JPN |
100m Breaststroke |
1:05.69 |
Asian Games |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 1 |
2018 |
Jakarta, INA |
200m Breaststroke |
2:23.05 |
| 2 |
2014 |
Incheon, KOR |
100m Breaststroke |
1:06.80 |
| 1 |
2014 |
Incheon, KOR |
200m Breaststroke |
2:21.82 |
| 4 |
2014 |
Incheon, KOR |
50m Breaststroke |
31.64 |
| 2 |
2014 |
Incheon, KOR |
200m Individual Medley |
2:10.58 |
| 1 |
2014 |
Incheon, KOR |
4 x 100m Medley Relay |
4:00.94 |
| |
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