Kosuke Hagino

Born in August of 1994 in Oyama, Japan, Kosuge Hagino began swimming before his first birthday and never looked back. At age 17, Hagino burst onto the international swimming scene with a medal on its largest stage, at the 2012 Olympics. In London, he qualified in first place in the 400 meter individual medley, setting a new Asian record in his qualifying heat, and besting that record to win a Bronze medal in the finals. In the 2013 World Championships, Hagino showcased his versatility, qualifying in the 200 m freestyle, 400 m freestyle, 100 m backstroke, 200 m backstroke, 200 m individual medley and the 400 m individual medley, along with a team medley. He medalled in the 400 meter freestyle and the 200 meter medley and was the only swimmer at the competition to take on six individual events. At the 2014 Pan Pacific Games, he swam in six events and medalled in five, including Gold in the 200 meter individual medley, when he defeated American Olympic record holder Michael Phelps by 2 hundredths of a second. Hagino qualified to represent Japan in four events at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.