Japanese Star Satomi Suzuki Still Writing Chapters to Career at 35 Years Old
For a moment, flash back to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. On three occasions, Japan’s Satomi Suzuki stood on the podium inside the London Aquatic Centre. She received a silver medal for her performance in the 200-meter breaststroke and earned a bronze medal for her efforts in the 100 breaststroke. Another bronze was secured as a member of Japan’s 400 medley relay.
Guess what? Suzuki continues to make noise.
While most of her fellow competitors from London have hung up their suits and goggles, the 35-year-old Suzuki is staring at a busy schedule ahead. In addition to competing at next week’s Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, Calif., Suzuki has been named to Japan’s roster for the Asian Games, scheduled for Tokyo in September. At both competitions, Suzuki is expected to contend for hardware.
During the 2026 campaign, Suzuki has been most impressive in the 100 breaststroke, where she is a three-time Asian Games medalist. At the Japan Swim in March, she logged a time of 1:05.60, a mark that ranks second in the world rankings. More, the performance is just .07 off Suzuki’s career best, the 1:05.53 she delivered at last year’s Japan Games. The 1:05.60 is also nearly a second faster than the 1:06.46 that earned Suzuki Olympic bronze almost 14 years ago.
Beyond the 100 breaststroke, Suzuki rates top-10 in the world for 2026 in the 50 breaststroke, off her 30.32 from the Japan Swim. She has also been 2:24.40 in the 200 breaststroke, good for a top-20 spot in the global rankings. Her career bests in those events sit at 30.10 and 2:20.72, respectively. Further proof of her continued excellence can be found in her fourth-place finish in the 100 breaststroke at last year’s World Championships and a fourth-place finish in the 200 breaststroke at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Suzuki has been defined by consistency this year, as she has also turned in a time of 1:05.87 in the 100 breaststroke and a 30.39 in the 50 breaststroke.
Already the oldest Japanese swimmer in Olympic history, Suzuki will be 37 when qualifying is held for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Can she maintain her edge for two more years? Considering she’s pushed her talent to this point, there’s no reason to bet against the veteran.
