Japan's Ohashi smashes 200m breaststroke world record for Asian Games gold

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept 24 - Japan's 17-year-old wunderkind Shin Ohashi set the men's 200 metres breaststroke world record on the way to Asian Games gold on Thursday, soaking up the moment in front of a thrilled home crowd.

Ohashi's blistering time of 2:04.83 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre eclipsed the previous mark (2:05.48) set by China's Qin Haiyang at the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka.

"The world record was my goal so I'm very happy to get it," he told reporters.

"Thanks to my fans, my family, all who supported me.

"My next goal is for the gold medal at the world championships."

Ohashi's triumph comes days after French great Leon Marchand, the Olympic 200m breaststroke champion, praised the Japanese swimmer as a major threat, saying he was "scared" of his potential. REUTERS