Kitajima triumphs in return

Two-time double Olympic breaststroke champion Kosuke Kitajima marked his return to domestic competition with victory in the 100-meter breaststroke final at a time trials meet in Tokyo on Friday.

Solid form: Breaststroker Kosuke Kitajima competes in a time trails meet on Friday in Tokyo. The two-time double Olympic champion won the 100-meter final in his first long-course pool competition since the 2008 Beijing Games. KYODO PHOTO

Kitajima topped the heats in 1 minute, 2.22 seconds at Tokyo Swimming Center before going on to win the final in 1:01.91, well outside his national record of 58.91.

Friday's competition was his first in a long-course 50-meter pool since last year's Beijing Olympics.

After successfully defending his Olympic titles, Kitajima moved his base to Los Angeles in April and resumed training at the University of Southern California.