Satomi Suzuki Wins Two Titles at Konami Open, Eyes Paris Olympic Records!

For a long time, Japanese swimming culture believed that peak performance occurred in one’s teenage years, as seen with Kyoko Iwasaki, who won gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

However, Tadahiko Kanda, the head coach of Yamanashi Gakuin University’s swim team, who has coached Suzuki since her student days, disagrees with that notion.

“The reason why top student swimmers in Japan haven’t continued improving after graduation is simply that they lacked an environment where they could continue training properly.

Swimming is similar to marathon running—training volume directly translates to results. In fact, in the U.S., there are swimmers who have won medals even past the age of 40.

Suzuki has the support of her team, Miki House, and the drive to keep improving. As long as the right environment is provided, more athletes like her—who continue to produce results as they age—will emerge.”

Feeling the results of accumulated training

Since last fall, Suzuki has increased the total distance she swims per practice session from an average of 4,000–5,000 meters to 6,000–7,000 meters.

“It’s just a feeling, but even with the increased training volume, I don’t feel as much fatigue. Of course, I do get tired, but I no longer feel completely exhausted after a race. I think my body is finally getting used to the accumulated training.”

She plans to enter three events—the 50m, 100m, and 200m breaststroke—at the Japan Championships starting on March 20. Having focused on speed training, she is particularly confident in the 50m and 100m races.

The continued growth of this veteran swimmer offers many lessons for the Japanese swimming community.

The March 13 issue of FRIDAY (March 28 edition) and the premium FRIDAY GOLD feature Suzuki’s thoughts on her age, future in the sport, and exclusive race photos.

 

For more details and multiple photos, check here ↓

From the March 28, 2025, issue of “FRIDAY”