SINGAPORE – Japanese teenager Tatsuya Murasa finished third in the men’s 200-meter freestyle final Tuesday, giving the country its first medal in a pool race at the world aquatics championships in Singapore.
The 18-year-old took the final turn in fifth place before touching the wall in a national record time of 1 minute, 44.54 seconds. Romania’s David Popovici won in 1:43.53, 0.31 faster than Luke Hobson of the United States.
Romania’s David Popovici (C) poses with his gold medal after the men’s 200-meter freestyle final at the world aquatics championships in Singapore on July 29, 2025, alongside silver medalist Luke Hobson (L) of the United States and bronze medalist Tatsuya Murasa of Japan. (Kyodo)
“I chased him so hard,” Murasa said of Popovici, who was swimming alongside him. “The tension of competing in the final at the world championships gave me an extra boost of energy.”
In the women’s 100-meter breaststroke final, Japan’s Satomi Suzuki just missed the podium, finishing fourth in 1:05.78. Germany’s Anna Elendt won the event in 1:05.19.
AloJapan.com