Japan's Olympic poster boy Kosuke Hagino insists he can handle the pressure of the nation's expectations as he bids for swimming glory at this summer's Rio Games.
"The most important thing about the Olympics is to enjoy the atmosphere," Hagino told reporters at the National Training Center on Thursday. "Rather than being scared of the occasion, you have to embrace it. If you can do that then the pressure fades away naturally."
Hagino heads to Brazil as one of Japan's top medal hopes after destroying the competition at last week's national championships in Tokyo, qualifying for four events in Rio and setting a new national record of 1 minute, 55.07 seconds in the 200-meter individual medley.