Read The Japan News
There are high hopes that a new swimming star will emerge at this monthรขโฌโขs Japan national swimming championships, although รขโฌลstarรขโฌย might not be the appropriate word for 13-year-old Runa Imai.
Imai, whose first name is based on the word Luna, the Roman goddess embodying the moon, finished third in the womenรขโฌโขs 200-meter breaststroke last year. She aims to reach the top spot at this yearรขโฌโขs meet, which starts April 10 at Tatsumi International Pool in Tokyo.
The championships serve as the qualifier for the Asian Games, to be held in Incheon, South Korea, this autumn.
Imai, a student at Gifu Nishi Middle School, started swimming at the age of 3. As a sixth-grader, she broke national records for primary school children in three breaststroke eventsรขโฌโ50 meters, 100 meters and 200 metersรขโฌโand in the 400-meter individual medley.
Imaiรขโฌโขs large feetรขโฌโher shoe size is 26 centimetersรขโฌโgives her a natural advantage by allowing her to propel herself more strongly in the water. In the last year, she has grown seven centimeters to reach 1.60 meters in height. There were fears that her form would suffer as her body changed, but she remained unaffected and even posted a personal best time of 2 minutes 24.05 seconds in a 200-meter race in January.
รขโฌลShe never forgives herself if she loses to anyone,รขโฌย coach Yasuhiro Shibatsuji said.
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