With the gold medals they won in Russia, three Japanese swimmers added shining accolades to their collections. What's more, they've also secured precious time to prepare for next summer's Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Speaking at a news conference right after returning home, Daiya Seto, Natsumi Hoshi and Kanako Watanabe, who captured gold medals at the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, said that they are happy to be able to spend the next year training without facing qualifying pressure until the Olympics.
Seto, Hoshi and Watanabe triumphed in the men's 400-meter individual medley, women's 200-meter butterfly and women's 200-meter breaststroke, respectively. As a result, they have earned spots on the Tobiuo Japan national team for the 2016 Summer Games without having to qualify at the national Olympic trials next April.