Satomi Suzuki on Embracing Change to Progress

Satomi Suzuki (33, from Mikihouse), Japan’s representative in competitive swimming for the Paris Olympics, is in excellent form before the opening of the Games.

The turning point was the Japan Open in December 2022.

“At that time, I wasn’t achieving good times at all. I realized that if things continued like this, it wouldn’t be good.”

For a competitive swimmer, changing one’s stroke technique is a significant gamble with inherent risks. However, shifting from a large stroke to a faster tempo resulted in noticeable improvements.

“(The training intensity increased) and initially, it was incredibly tough and exhausting. But as I continued, my body gradually adapted, and I started to think, ‘This might work,’ and could try things more proactively.”

In the 100m breaststroke, she set a personal best of under 1 minute 5 seconds at the Olympic trials in March this year. She also revealed that she changed her wall push-off technique in late June.

“I thought that spreading my legs a little might help with a stronger push, so I’ve been working on that recently (laughs). Am I anxious? In my case, if I hesitate to incorporate changes, I won’t make progress.”

There’s also talk about her being the oldest swimmer at 33 to compete in the Olympics, but she laughs it off, saying, “I’m not thinking about that at all. I’ve been focused solely on surpassing my own records.”

Her goal is self-improvement. If she can set a new personal best in Paris, it wouldn’t be surprising to see any result.

 

From the July 26 and August 2 combined issue of FRIDAY.