Eight Tsunami swimmers off to Tokyo Sprints

Tsunami Saipan Swimming Center will send its biggest delegation yet to the 2012 Tokyo Junior Sprints.

The club, which sent a small group to the same tournament for three years (2008, 2009, and 2010) will be fielding eight swimmers for the competition that will be held on March 17 and 18 at the Tatsumi International Swimming Center in Tatsumi, Koto City. The list includes siblings Hiroto, Kaito, and Ryuto Yanai, Kensuke Kimura, Takumi Sugie, Lukas Kang, Angel Marie Tan, and Miku Tammy. Joining them are coaches Hiro Kimura and Shigeki Tenorio and Tsunami officials Yuko Kimura and Yoriko Sugie.

Hiroto and Ryuto will debut in the 25-meter pool contest, while Kaito will be competing in the event for the second time. Kaito won a gold medal in the 100m individual medley swim in 2010 and was scheduled to defend his title last year, but the tournament was cancelled as tsunami and earthquake rocked Japan.

Besides the 100m IM, Kaito will also swim in the boys 12’s 50m breaststroke, while Hiroto will race in the boys 11’s 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke events. Ryuto also has two events in the boys U8 division (50m freestyle and 50m butterfly).

“Kaito will go for the gold medal though it will be a tough challenge. We expect Ryuto to mark a record and get the championship in the freestyle,” Hiro Kimura said.

As for Kensuke Kimura, who is entered in the boys 15’s 100m IM and 50m breaststroke, the Tsunami Saipan coach hopes his son will advance to the finals this time after nearly making it in 2010.

In 2010, Kensuke was just 0.5 of a second short of moving into the finals of the 100m IM as he clocked in at 1:07.81 for ninth place out of 51 participants. Only the Top 8 swimmers advanced to the finals.

“It’s Kensuke final chance to make it to the finals or win the gold because he is 15 years old now,” Hiro Kimura said.

Tan like Kensuke will be a returnee in the Tokyo Sprints. She joined the 100m IM (1:23.94) and 50m breaststroke (42.60 seconds) in 2010 and will have the same events next month and aims to surpass her times.

Kang was supposed to debut in the Tokyo Sprints last year before the event was called off. This year, Lukas will finally have his first taste of competition in the annual tournament, as he races in the boys 9’s 100m IM and 50m butterfly. Also debuting in the Tokyo meet are Sugie and Tammy, who are entered in the boys 13’s 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly and girls 9’s 100m IM and 50m butterfly, respectively.

“Lukas Kang and Miku Tammy can go to the finals of the 100m IM if they will be able to swim as usual. Takumi’s best time in the 50m freestyle is ranked among the Top 3 in the CNMI so he will do good in Japan,” Hiro Kimura said.

“Overall, all our swimmers have a strong chance of advancing to the finals,” he added.