Japanese teenager Shin Ohashi has broken the men’s 200-metre breaststroke world record at the 2026 Asian Games in Tokyo, weeks after recovering from COVID-19.
The 17-year-old swimmer won the gold medal on Thursday in a time of 2 minutes, 4.83 seconds, lowering the previous world record of 2:05.48 set by China’s Qin Haiyang at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka.
Ohashi’s performance came after he contracted COVID-19 during preparations for the competition. The illness raised concerns about his readiness, but the teenager said the recovery period also allowed him to give his body additional time to rest.
“Regarding Covid, after all, there was a part where it created a little anxiety for me mentally,” Ohashi said after the race, according to reports. He added that, physically, the recovery period gave him an opportunity to properly rest.
Despite the disruption to his preparations, Ohashi produced a dominant performance in the final, taking control early and maintaining his advantage as he raced against the clock.
He finished 3.84 seconds ahead of Kyrgyzstan’s Denis Petrashov, who claimed the silver medal. The Japanese swimmer’s winning time was more than half a second faster than the previous world best, which had stood since July 2023.
The world-record performance was Ohashi’s second gold medal of the Tokyo Games. Earlier in the competition, he shared the 100m breaststroke gold medal with China’s Dong Zhihao after the pair finished in the same time.
Ohashi has emerged as one of Japan’s most promising young swimmers. He won five gold medals at last year’s World Junior Championships, strengthening his reputation as a rising figure in international swimming.
His development has also attracted attention from established swimmers. French Olympic champion Léon Marchand has previously described the Japanese teenager as a major prospect in the sport.
The world record adds to a strong Asian Games swimming competition that has featured several teenage athletes making significant breakthroughs.
Earlier this week, 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi also attracted international attention after winning three gold medals at the Games. Ohashi’s achievement further highlighted the emergence of a new generation of young swimmers competing at the highest level.
Ohashi said his ambitions extend beyond the Asian Games. Following his record-breaking performance, he said he wants to win gold at next year’s World Championships before targeting Olympic success.
The swimmer’s immediate achievement, however, was completing one of the most notable performances of the Tokyo Games while overcoming a recent health setback.
His victory also gave the home crowd another memorable moment as Japan hosted the Asian Games, with Ohashi becoming the latest teenage swimmer to establish himself on the international stage.
The record means Ohashi now holds a world-best time of 2:04.83 in the men’s 200m breaststroke, marking a significant milestone in his young career.
