Japan will aim for at least three gold medals at the July 23-30 world swimming championships in Budapest, head coach Norimasa Hirai said Monday.
As the Japan Swimming Federation announced its team for the worlds a night after the national championships concluded in Nagoya, Hirai said he wants to see Japan win more than the two golds it won at last year's Rio Olympics, by Kosuke Hagino and Rie Kaneto.
Ryosuke Irie in the backstroke is the oldest at 27 among the 17 who qualified for the individual events through the nationals. Sixteen-year-old Rikako Ikee, who became the first woman to win five races at the nationals, is the youngest.