WATANABE earns bronze in the men’s 200m individual medley
At the FISU World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, swimming club member WATANABE Yuta, a third-year student at the School of Business Administration, won bronze in the men’s 200-meter individual medley.
On July 18 (local time), WATANABE progressed steadily through the heat and semifinal rounds to advance to the final. In the final on July 19, he was positioned fifth at the 100-meter mark but recorded the fastest last 50 meters among the eight competitors at 27.76., securing the bronze medal with a time of 1:58.54.
Comment from WATANABE Yuta
I was a second ahead of my personal best at the 100-meter mark in both the heat and semifinal, so I thought I might be able to finish in 1:57. But the result was far from what I had hoped for — I couldn’t beat my personal best. Maybe it was my right shoulder, which has been aching since I got to Germany, or the fatigue from the 4x100-meter freestyle relay the day before. I’m still glad I managed to come in third, beating a strong American competitor in a close race.
WATANABE beams with his bronze medal
(All photos courtesy of the Meiji University Swimming Club)