At the 2015 World Aquatics Championships held in Kazan, Russia, Natsumi Hoshi (former member of Waseda University Swim Club, graduated School of Sport Sciences, 2013, currently at Mizuno) reached the final of the women’s 200m butterfly and achieved her long-cherished dream of a gold medal in a time of 2 minutes 5.56 seconds.
She is the first Japanese female swimmer ever to win the World Aquatics Championships. Winning the gold medal earned her a place on the Japan Team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Race result
Women’s 200m Butterfly Final: 2 minutes 5.56 seconds, 1st Place, Gold Medal
Natsumi Hoshi smiling as she holds her gold medal
Hoshi waving from the podium. Soon after, the Japanese flag was raised and the national anthem played at the venue in Kazan.
Hoshi competed at the London Olympics while still at Waseda University, winning the bronze medal in the women’s 200m butterfly and, through races in summer and winter, becoming the first female student in Waseda’s history to concurrently be an Olympic medalist. She is expected to do well at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, which will be her third Olympic appearance following Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
With Norimasa Hirai, Head Coach of Japan Swimming Team (Swim Club OB; Graduated School of Social Sciences, 1986; Graduated Waseda Institute for Sport Sciences, 2009; Current coach of Swimming Club at Toyo University)
With Tatsuo Ogura, Japan Team’s spokesperson (Swim Club OB; Graduated School of Education, 2005), who knows the effort Hoshi has made
Natsumi Hoshi during her 4th year at Waseda University (Photo: Waseda Sports Press)
In September 2012, showing her bronze medal from the London Olympics to University President, Kaoru Kamata
