Japanese Olympic champion and breaststroke star Kosuke Kitajima was elected as the Vice Chairman of the Tokyo Metropolitan Swimming Association this week according to a post on the organization’s website.
Kitajima has been active in the planning and organization of the Kosuke Kitajima Cup since 2014, when he started serving as a Director with the Tokyo Metropolitan Swimming Association. Since his retirement in 2016 Kitajima has continued to be involved in the planning and organization of the international meet that bears his namesake.
Commenting on his new role, Kitajima said he is looking forward to using his new relationship with swimming to bring the sport to more people and continue to help it grow in both a competitive and health and wellness realm.
Kitajima qualified for four Olympic Games (2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012) and won back-to-back gold medals in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes between 2004 and 2008. He retired in 2016 after missing Japan’s Olympic squad.
According to their website, the Tokyo Metropolitan Swimming Association oversees swimming in the greater Tokyo metro area and looks to promote the development of Aquatics in the area.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Swimming Association contributed to this report.