Surfing the internet, came across a former junior highschool social studies student, Isaiah. God bless him, his Mom, and his coach! Congratulations go out to him for his exemplary representation as one of the CNMI's finest world class athletes. It was an honor to have been one of his teachers. All of us, in the CNMI, are very proud of you, Isaiah!
Isaiah will be lone wolf for CNMI in Tokyo Jr. Olympic Cup
March 26, 2024
By MARK RABAGO, Saipan Tribune
Isaiah Aleksenko, right, with Tsunami Saipan Swimming Center head coach Hiroyuki Kimura pose for a photo after practice yesterday at Pacific Islands Club Saipan.
Isaiah Aleksenko will be the CNMI’s lone entry to this year’s 47th Junior Olympic Cup at the Tokyo Aquatics Center that will start in Japan this week. The 17-year-old Marianas High School student and reigning NMSA Male Student Athlete of the Year will be accompanied by Tsunami Saipan Swimming Center head coach Hiroyuki Kimura.
Aleksenko will compete in the 50m butterfly event on March 29 and the 100m butterfly the next day on March 30. Kimura said his ward will swim against 72 swimmers in his first event and 32 swimmers in his second.
“Honestly it feels weird because I’m used to traveling with teammates. I think I’d do better when my teammates travel with me because I have more motivation and support which makes me have more adrenaline making me swim better,” said Aleksenko when asked how he feels being the CNMI’s lone entry in the Tokyo meet. The Junior Olympic Cup Is held twice a year—the long course in summer and the short course in spring. Although it is a competition for junior swimmers in Japan, there are many participants from overseas.
Last year, the Australian junior team participated. Guam swimmers also participated several times before and this year will mark the very first the CNMI will taking part in the event. Divisions include 10-and-under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, and the Championship Class where Aleksenko will be participating in. “It’s a competition for top swimmers in the world for junior competitions. The winner’s time is equivalent to the World Junior Championships finalist time. Isaiah is the only swimmer to qualify with a Junior Olympic Cup time,” said Kimura.
The many time CNMI national coach said the qualifying time for the Junior Olympic Cup is extremely fast and even the CNMI record is far behind. “For example, the qualifying time for the girls 11-12 50m backstroke is 32.20. The CNMI’s national record is 33.20, which means that even the fastest swimmer in Saipan history has not achieved a qualifying time of even a 12-year-old swimmer in this meet!” Kimura said Aleksenko would have to be in his best element to make an impression at the Junior Olympic Cup. “It’s a close race with dozens of swimmers crowded together within 0.5 seconds. It will be a thrilling race where the winner will be decided by a 1mm or 2mm difference in finishing touches. Isaiah needs to be 100% in shape without fail.” He added their first goal Is just to survive and make it to at least the finals. “The Top 8 from preliminaries will go to the finals. Our chances are 50/50. It’s very scary but also so exciting.” Kimura thanked the following for making their trip to the 47th Junior Olympic Cup in Japan possible: Northern Marianas Sports Association, Northern Mariana Islands Swimming Federation, Pacific Islands Club Saipan, Aqua Resort Club, the Tan family, Saipan Swim Club, and to all the Tsunami Saipan swimmers and parents who support the team. Aleksenko and Kimura will leave for Japan on Wednesday.
Isaiah bags 50m butterfly bronze
By MARK RABAGO, Saipan Tribune
April 1, 2024
Isaiah Aleksenko completed his own resurrection in swimming after bagging a bronze medal in the 50m butterfly in the 47th Junior Olympic Cup at the Tokyo Aquatics Center in Japan. Swimming his first event last March 29, the 17-year-old Marianas High School student and Saipan Community School alumnus finished third with a time 23.46 behind 18-year-olds Shouon Mitsunaga (23.11) and Rento Touge (23.31), both of Japan. Aleksenko’s 23.46 also marked a new CNMI short course national record.
Aleksenko, who finished fifth in the preliminaries with a time of 23.87, said the 50m butterfly race was so close but fun at the same time. “It was a fun event because of how close the race was. I was very surprised and happy because now that I think of it, I’m basically the third fastest 18-and-under male in Japan which is crazy to think about. I want to thank God, my mom; my family; my coach and his wife; Kensuke [Kimura], who is my coach’s son, because he helped me throughout the event; as well as my teammates for being so supportive.”
Asked if the bronze medal atoned for his disqualification in the 200m individual medley in last February’s 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, Aleksenko said it definitely did. “Ever since the DQ I have been practicing harder and harder so this is definitely a redemption from the World Champs.”
Coach Hiroyuki Kimura said Aleksenko’s first race in the Junior Olympic Cup was an extremely high-speed race and was a real dog fight. “I’m super happy, of course he is very happy and he got higher motivation for his 100m butterfly the next day. The 50m butterfly is a little bit hard for him because he is not a sprinter. Though Isaiah is very fast even in a short sprint event, top junior sprinters in Japan have the sprint event as their No. 1 style. However, Isaiah survived to the finals, then won a bronze medal in the finals. It was more than amazing,” he said.
Results of Aleksenko’s 100m butterfly event on March 30 will be published in the next issue of Saipan Tribune.
Another bronze for Isaiah in Jr. Olympic Cup
By MARK RABAGO, Saipan Tribune
April 2, 2024
Lighting struck twice for Isaiah Aleksenko as he made the CNMI version of the 1993 blockbuster hit “Cool Runnings” when he again won a bronze medal in the in the 47th Junior Olympic Cup at the Tokyo Aquatics Center in Japan.
A day after his third-place finish in the 50m butterfly, the 17-year-old Marianas High School student swam the 100m butterfly in 51:98 last March 30 to again finish second behind 18-year-olds Shouon Mitsunaga (51:22) and Rento Touge (51:44), both of Japan.
While ecstatic with another podium finish in the biggest stage of high school swimming in the Land of the Rising Sun, Aleksenko pondered if he would’ve been faster if the CNMI actually had a full-fledged swimming pool to train on.
"Our pool is small compared to the regular pools and I was just milliseconds behind so with a proper pool I definitely would’ve been faster,” he said.
Nonetheless, the Saipan Community School alumnus again thanked everyone instrumental in his swimming journey.
“I’m very grateful to represent Saipan. People should know more about Saipan and the amazing culture we have. I’m proud to be from Saipan,” he said.
CNMI national swimming coach Hiroyuki Kimura likened his ward’s performance last week in Japan to the movie "Cool Runnings" where a coach, played by the late comedic genius John Candy, mentors a novice four-man bobsleigh team from Jamaica in the Winter Olympics.
Isaiah unfortunately lost the gold medal. I think he was very disappointed, but he looked very cheerful. I'm really proud of Isaiah. It was a great fight.:
Kimura agreed with Aleksenko’s comment after his bronze in the 50m butterfly that the Tokyo meet served as a redemption tour for him following his disqualification in the 200m individual medley in last February’s 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar.
“The moment the race in Doha ended, I switched my mind to the Junior Olympic Cup. Isaiah and I vowed to take revenge from that regret in Japan! On the way back from Doha, in the plane and during transit time at the airport in Incheon, my laptop never switched off. This is because I made a detailed practice plan for Isaiah for Junior Olympic Cup.”
For a second, Kimura revealed that they were dreaming of a gold medal in the 100m butterfly after Aleksenko finished first in the preliminary round.
“In the prelims, Isaiah hit the top-ranking time and advanced to the finals. Second was Rento Touge (52.38) and third was Shouon Mitsunaga (52.68). Only Isaiah marked a cut of 52 seconds in the preliminary heats, but Touge and Mitsunaga were clearly saving their energy for the final. We know their potential is to cut 52 seconds.”
Kimura went on to say that Touge and Mitsunaga are top swimmers in Japan, so they swim at a 25m short course meet every week to gain experience in racing. On the other hand, Aleksenko has been practicing for six years on an island without an official swimming pool and only has race experience about twice a year.
“While Japanese top swimmers have experience in countless 25m short course races, the prelims was only Isaiah's second short course race experience in his life. The difference in racing experience was obvious. Therefore, we never had the luxury of saving strength for the finals, so Isaiah swam as fast as he could in the prelims. Japan's top junior athletes I guess didn't go to the beach to lose to an unknown swimmer who came from a small southern island with a population of 50,000,” he said.
April 23, 2024
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