Olympic Dreams, Olympic Pressure On Yasu Hirai
Courtesy of Meidai Sports, Odaiba Marine Park, Tokyo. Yasunari Hirai who finished eighth in the 10 km marathon swim at the 2016 Rio Olympics, improving from his 15th placing at the 2012 London Olympics, has high hopes for a medal in his hometown of Tokyo in August 2020.
Like Xin Tong and Fang Yanqiao of China at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Keri-Anne Payne and Daniel Fogg of Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics, and Poliana Okimoto, Ana Marcela Cunha, and Allan do Carmo of Brazil at the 2016 Rio Olympics, there is a significant amount of pressure and media attention on Hirai and his fellow Japanese Olympic swimming hopefuls.
Ultimately, only Okimoto has been able to stand on the Olympic podium in her home country. Hirai plans on being the first male swimmers to do the same.
Lower photo shows bottles of YASU WATER (ヤス ウォーター) that distributed and sold in Japan also featuring Hirai.
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Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.
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