Placed 5th in the preliminaries and positioned in lane 2 for the final, the youngest swimmer in the race stood smiling, fully immersed in the moment and the vibrant atmosphere of the venue. “I committed to enjoying the atmosphere and went with the flow,” Matsushita said in a post-race interview with Japanese television. “The cheers from the spectators felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I swam comfortably, feeling how lucky I was.”

Competing alongside seasoned swimmers and next to his senior teammate, multiple world champion Daiya Seto, Matsushita remained composed throughout the race. He was 7th after the butterfly leg, 6th after the backstroke, and 5th at the 300m turn. He surged in the final 100m, clocking the fastest lap of 57.06, overtaking all competitors except Marchand to secure his silver medal. His time of 4:08.62 not only earned him the medal but also improved his personal best by 1.42 seconds, a mark previously set during the Japanese Olympic Team Trials in March at the Tokyo 2020 Games' venue. 

Matsushita’s impressive performance in Paris is a testament to his recent progress. Over the past two years, he has shown significant improvement, highlighted by his World Junior Championships victory in September 2023 in Netanya, Israel where he clocked 4:10.97. He also excelled in the Olympic Trials, besting Olympic medallists Tomoru Honda and Daiya Seto with a time of 4:10.04.

Hailing from Tochigi Prefecture located 100km north of Tokyo, Matsushita has long admired his hometown hero Kosuke Hagino, who won the gold medal in the same event at the Rio 2016 Games. Following in Hagino’s footsteps, Matsushita trains under renowned coach Norimasa Hirai at Toyo University. Coach Hirai, known for mentoring numerous Olympic medallists including Kosuke Kitajima, Reiko Nakamura, Aya Terakawa, Natsumi Hoshi, Kosuke Hagino, and Yui Ohashi, has been instrumental in Matsushita's development. Prior to the Games, Matsushita’s preparation included high-altitude training in Sierra Nevada, Spain, which contributed to his strong finish.

Coach Hirai’s advice to focus solely on the race proved invaluable. “I believed in myself and did my best until I touched the wall,” Matsushita reflected. “All the intensive training and tough moments paid off with this race.”

The teen Japanese medallist is set to compete in the 200m IM on August 1, his 19th birthday, and is already looking ahead to future challenges in the 400m IM.

“I love the Olympics,” Matsushita told his role model Kosuke Hagino, who is in Paris as a field reporter for one of the Japanese TV rights holders, after the medal ceremony. “This silver medal opens up many opportunities, and I’m determined to chase Leon Marchand in the next four years.”

Rising Stars: Japanese Teenagers Impress at Paris 2024

The legacy of young talent from the Tokyo 2020 Games continues to shine as Japanese teenagers make waves in Paris. On the first day of the swimming competition, 17-year-old Mizuki Hirai delivered a remarkable Olympic debut. She posted the second-fastest time in the preliminary heats of the women’s 100m butterfly and went on to finish 7th in the final. Despite her dissatisfaction with the result, Hirai's performance underscores her potential for future success.

Similarly, 17-year-old Mio Narita made a strong showing in the women’s 400m IM, securing 5th place with a time of 4:37.84. Narita's performance in the morning session earned her a spot in the final and highlights her growing skill in the sport. Another teen swimmer Tatsuya Murasa is also set to make his Olympic debut in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay, further demonstrating Japan’s emerging swimming talent