Courtesy of NHKの朝ごはんの現場, Tokyo, Japan.

Among the projected 25 finalists at the men’s 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games 10 km marathon swim, there may not be anyone who has more fans than local favorite Yasunari Hirai, a two-time Japanese Olympian who finished 8th in the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

With a joyful personality, Hirai is unique character among his fellow Japanese Olympians and generates a good amount of positive media exposure for himself, his corporate sponsors and the sport of open water swimming in Japan.

The NHK-TV morning show on June 15th highlighted Hirai and his renowned appetite that Hirai described as “if my body was a car, food is my fuel.”

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