Olympic Medallist Satomi Suzuki finished 8th in the women’s 100m breaststroke semi-final, narrowly edging out her teammate Reona Aoki by just 0.01 seconds to secure her spot in the final, which will take place in her hometown Fukuoka tonight.
Surprisingly, this is the 32-year-old veteran’s first appearance in a world championships final.
Suzuki had a good feeling after Monday’s morning session already. She was astonished by her own result and the electric atmosphere in the venue. “I couldn’t believe it was me who had the crowd so excited,” she shared with the media in the mixed zone after she led heat 4 in the women’s 100m breaststroke preliminary. “I was first surprised when I realized I had taken the top spot. And then, even more, surprised when I saw it was my personal best!”
Looking back over the past decade, Suzuki burst onto the scene in London, surprising the world at her first world-level competition, London 2012 Olympic Games. She earned a silver medal in the women’s 200m breaststroke and two bronzes in the 100m breaststroke and 4x100m medley relay, respectively.
Her journey to achieve her personal best in the 100m breaststroke has been a decade-long endeavour. It marked her first improvement in 14 years, dating back to 2009 during the high-tech suit era, while she has continuously been refining her 50m dash time. Competing in numerous international competitions since then, she struggled to surpass the time of 1:06.32, which she clocked at the age of 18.
Suzuki’s last international appearance was in 2018 when she won three gold medals at the Asian Games in Jakarta. After a five-year absence from international competition representing Japan, this hometown hero from Fukuoka made a triumphant comeback, igniting immense enthusiasm among the home crowds.
“The championships being hosted in my hometown has given me a different kind of power. I realized that the cheering voices from the spectators have pushed me to reach another level,” she revealed to the media in the mixed zone after the semi-final. “It's been a long time since I've felt this level of excitement, and I consider it a valuable experience for me. Even at 32 years old, I’m deeply grateful to have this much support. I want to prove that I can still perform at my best and use this support to fuel my performance.”
Tonight, her sights are set on surpassing her personal best of 1:06.20 once more and securing a higher position during the final. With the unwavering support of the home fans cheering her on, she is determined to deliver her best performance and share in the excitement of the moment.