Our Town Inagi 2016: Aijima Koki

Speed is Attractive: Masters of the Finswimming World Cup - Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals Won at the Prague Tournament!

Mr. Aijima, a swimming instructor living in Yanokuchi, participated in the Finswimming World Cup Masters Prague Tournament held in June 2016 (B-Fin 29 to 34 age class) and won three medals: bronze in the 50 meters, silver in the 100 meters, and gold in the relay (team).
Finswimming is a swimming competition performed with fins (flippers) attached. The B-Fin event that Mr. Aijima participated in involves swimming with one fin on each foot, making it about 3 seconds faster than competitive swimming over 50 meters.

Mr. Aijima started fin swimming after being invited by his teammates from the Masters swimming team he belongs to. Having continued competitive swimming since childhood, he seems to struggle with the differences, such as the use of the ankles, but he is captivated by the speed of fin swimming and continues to practice.
When asked about his goals, he said, "I need to get through the Japanese qualifiers, but the World Cup Masters competition is held every year, so I want to participate again next year. I believe I still have room for growth since I just started fin swimming, so I aim for gold medals in all events."
Let's support Mr. Aijima as he practices daily aiming for the top of the world.