Tsunami Saipan swimmers leave for 2012 Tokyo Sprint

  The 12-person delegation from Tsunami Saipan leaves today for Japan to compete in the 2012 Tokyo Junior Sprint 2012 at the Tatsumi International Swimming Arena.

Leading Team Tsunami Saipan is head coach Hiro Kimura, who will be assisted by Shigeki Tenorio. Also on the group are Tsunami officials Yuko Kimura and Yoriko Sugie. The four officials will assists swimmers Hiroto, Kaito, and Ryuto Yanai, Kensuke Kimura, Takumi Sugie, Lukas Kang, Angel Marie Tan, and Miku Tammy in the two-day competition that will start this Saturday. The Tsunami Saipan delegates will arrive in Tokyo tomorrow and will have only one day to practice before the races on Saturday and Sunday.

The Tokyo Sprint is for swimmers in the U15 division and will feature tankers from various clubs in Japan. This will be the fourth time that the CNMI was invited to the annual competition. Last year, Tsunami Saipan was also entered in the event, but the tournament was cancelled after tsunami and earthquakes hit Japan.

The eight Tsunami Saipan swimmers will compete in two events each.

Kensuke Kimura, who will be on his third and last stint in Tokyo Sprints, will be racing in the boys 15’s 100m IM and 50m breaststroke, while Takumi Sugie, the second oldest swimmer on the squad, will be competing for the first time and will join the boys 13’s 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly.

Hiroto and Ryuto Yanai, Kang, and Tammy are also debuting in the Tokyo contest.

The older Hiroto is entered in the boys 11’s 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke races, while Ryuto will swim in the boys U8 division’ 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly events. Kang, who missed his Tokyo Spint debut last year after the events cancellation, will finally have his taste of the 25-meter pool competition in Japan as he races in the boys 9’s 100m IM and 50m butterfly. Tammy is in the same age group and will also swim in the 100m IM and 50m butterfly.

Kaito Yanai will be seeing action in the annual tournament for the second time and is expected to deliver wins for Tsunami Saipan after his impressive debut in Japan in 2010. The 11-year-old swimmer won the gold medal in the 100m individual medley, two years ago. He is entered in the same event this weekend and will also race in the boys 12’s 50m breaststroke.

“We wish our swimmers all the best,” coach Kimura said in an email sent to Tsunami Saipan swimmers, officials, and supporters.