Ikee Rikako, Seto Daiya front 27 named to Japan's Paris 2024 swim team

Ikee Rikako and Seto Daiya spearhead a party of 27 named to Japan’s swimming squad for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games* on Wednesday (27 March).

Ikee and Seto, who each secured a quota for their third Olympic Games through the trials last week at Tokyo Aquatics Centre, will represent a team comprised of 14 men and 13 women looking to restore Japan’s pride in the pool this summer.

“We have a very balanced group of veterans and the young and those somewhere in the middle,” said Japan Swimming Federation President Daichi Suzuki, the Seoul 1988 gold medallist in the 100m backstroke.

“I want to see them level up in the next four months and expect that they will show their will to fight in Paris.

“I am proud of the athletes we have here. I hope they will raise our flag in Paris.”

• Double Olympic champion Ohashi Yui squeezes into Games on last day of trials
• Four-time world champion Seto Daiya finally clinches spot in 200 IM
• Suzuki Satomi, 33, set to become Japan's oldest Olympic swimmer
• Ikee Rikako secures Paris 2024 quota in 100 fly by slimmest of margins
• Japan swimming trials for Paris 20424: All results - complete list

JSF said the goal is for every swimmer to reach a final during the 27 July-4 August Olympic meet at Paris La Defense Arena.

Eight of the 27 were selected for the relays by the federation in addition to those who clinched a spot in the individual races at the trials, where the qualifying times are amongst the world's toughest to meet.

At the home Games in 2021 and last year’s World Aquatics Championships in Tokyo and Fukuoka, respectively, Japan won a disappointing combined total of five medals.

During the trials - held a month earlier than for past Games - no Japan records fell but the hope is that a new generation of teen swimmers like Narita Mio and Matsushita Tomoyuki will have a galvanizing effect on the troops.

Two-time Olympian and 33-year-old Suzuki Satomi, in the women’s breaststroke, is set to become Japan’s oldest-ever swimmer at the Games. The youngest on the squad is men’s freestyler Murasa Tatsuya - who turned 17 on this day.

Ikee, on top of the 100m butterfly, was picked for the relays. Suzuki, Seto (200m individual medley), Honda Tomoru (200m fly) and double Tokyo 2020 women’s IM champion Ohashi Yui are the four Olympic medallists on the team.

*As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.

Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.

Japanese swimmers for Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Men: Matsumoto Katsuhiro, Takehara Hidekazu, Watanabe Ippei, Hanaguruma Yu, Mizunuma Naoki, Terakado Genki, Honda Tomoru, Seto Daiya, Matsushita Tomoyuki

Relays - Yanagimoto Konosuke, Murasa Tatsuya, Mano Hidenari, Matsuyama Riku, Taniguchi Taku

Women: Suzuki Satomi, Aoki Reona, Hirai Mizuki, Ikee Rikako, Mitsui Airi, Makino Hiroko, Ohashi Yui, Matsumoto Shiho, Narita Mio, Tanigawa Ageha

Relays - Kobori Waka, Shirai Rio, Ikemoto Nagisa