Kosuke Kitajima

Kosuke Kitajima is a retired Japanese breaststroke swimmer, born in Tokyo in 1982, who won the 100 and 200 metre breaststroke at both the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, becoming the first and only swimmer to sweep the breaststroke events at consecutive Games. He set the 100 metre breaststroke world record at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a mark later broken by Brenton Rickard, and won bronze in the medley relay there. Across the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Games he collected four gold, one silver and two bronze medals. His most significant rival was the American Brendan Hansen, whom he met at the 2003 and 2005 World Championships and at the 2004 Olympics.