Japan’s Ohashi, 17, sets 200m breaststroke world record at Asian Games

Japan's Shin Ohashi rewrote the record books at the 2026 Asian Games in Tokyo on Thursday, becoming the first man to break the 2:05 barrier in the 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2 minutes, 4.83 seconds.olympics+1

The 17-year-old shattered the previous world record of 2:05.48, set by China's Qin Haiyang at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, by more than half a second. Denis Petrashov of Kyrgyzstan finished second in 2:08.67, with South Korea's Cho Sung-jae taking bronze in 2:08.76.espn

"I wasn't expecting to post a time like that," Ohashi said. "So I was really happy. At the same time, I felt a huge sense of relief."espn

A Teenager With Olympic Ambitions

The record capped a dominant week in the pool for Ohashi, who had already won gold in the 100-meter breaststroke in a dead heat with China's Dong Zhihao and claimed the 400-meter individual medley title earlier in the Games. Standing just 169 centimeters tall, he has emerged as the swimmer to beat in breaststroke events, having entered the Asian Games with the year's fastest time of 2:06.59.france24+1

Ohashi said his next target is gold at the World Championships in Beijing in December, with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics firmly in his sights. "I may be the world-record holder now, but the level of competition around the world will keep rising," he said. "I don't want to be left behind. Instead, I want to be the one who sets the pace."espn+1

Praise From Marchand and Kitajima

The performance has caught the attention of the sport's biggest names. France's Leon Marchand, the reigning Olympic 200-meter breaststroke champion who has been presenting medals at the Games, admitted he was unnerved by the teenager's rise. "I'm scared. I'm very scared of him," Marchand said. "His breaststroke is amazing, and I'm very excited — also stressed about it — to race him."france24+1

Japanese breaststroke legend Kosuke Kitajima, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, said Ohashi could become "a swimmer who strikes fear" into his rivals despite his compact frame compared to larger competitors like the 192-centimeter Qin Haiyang. Ohashi is the first Japanese swimmer to break the 200-meter breaststroke world record at an Asian Games since Kitajima himself in 2002.olympics+1

Off the pool deck, Ohashi's profile is that of an unassuming teenager who has confessed to a weakness for crisps and fizzy drinks. "I know it's not good for you, but hey, once it's in your stomach it's all the same," he told the Olympic Channel.france24