Swimmer Satomi Suzuki Still Evolving as a Veteran: “Still Aiming for the Record!”

Cleared the World Aquatics Championships Qualifying Standard

At the Konami Open (February 15–16), Satomi Suzuki (34, Miki House) competed in the women’s 100m breaststroke final, recording a time of 1:06.62, surpassing the qualifying standard (1:06.87) for the World Championships in July. She claimed two titles, including the 50m breaststroke. This marked her third consecutive victory in the event at the tournament, surpassing her previous times of 1:07.23 in 2023 and 1:07.42 in 2024 at the age of 34.

It is still early in the season, so the significance of this time may be limited. However, Suzuki’s expression was filled with satisfaction—so much so that she flashed a double peace sign at a longtime photographer right after the race (see photo below).

“I’m surprised myself. That said, though it may sound contradictory, I was able to balance tension and relaxation well, resulting in a powerful yet fluid swim. I think this was the outcome of keeping the March Japan Championships in mind, which also serve as the selection event for the World Championships, and swimming solidly.”

At last summer’s Paris Olympics, the Japanese swimming team had set a goal of winning multiple medals, including gold. However, they ended up with only one silver, won by Tomoyuki Matsushita (19) in the men’s 400m individual medley.

The swimming venue at the Paris Olympics was a temporary pool with a depth of 2.2 meters—80 cm shallower than the 3 meters that has become standard for recent international competitions. Pool depth affects starts and turns, but the Japanese team only learned this fact four days before the official practice sessions began.

Additionally, while it had been said that the swimming venue was a 40-minute bus ride from the Olympic Village, heavy traffic sometimes extended the one-way trip to nearly 90 minutes. Since both the preliminary rounds (morning) and semifinals (afternoon) were held on the same day, athletes had to travel back and forth twice daily. Some countries had even secured standby hotels near the venue to maintain optimal conditions for their athletes. Consequently, concerns were raised about Japan’s lack of preparation.

Amid these challenges, Suzuki, at 33 years old—the oldest swimmer in Japan’s Olympic history—provided a bright moment. Competing in her first Olympics in eight years, she advanced to the final in the women’s 200m breaststroke for the first time in 12 years and finished just shy of a medal in fourth place.

Suzuki is best remembered for her success at the 2012 London Olympics. Then a senior at Yamanashi Gakuin University, she won three medals—silver in the women’s 200m breaststroke, bronze in the 100m breaststroke, and bronze in the 400m medley relay—becoming the first Japanese female swimmer to achieve such a feat in a single Games. She instantly became a star in the swimming world.

However, she struggled afterward. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she competed in the 100m breaststroke but was eliminated in the semifinals. She did not even qualify for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Even so, Suzuki clawed her way back from rock bottom, setting a new personal best in the 100m breaststroke for the first time in 14 years in 2023. She continued to break records in multiple events, and the article follows what happened to her after her inspiring performance in Paris.