World Series 2026: Fuji-Shizuoka delivers a golden showcase for Japan

Twenty-two gold medals. One world record. Three days of racing at the foot of Mount Fuji. The Para Swimming World Series Fuji-Shizuoka 2026 had everything a season highlight deserves.

The sixth stop of the 2026 circuit, which concluded on 31 May at the Shizuoka Prefectural Pool, brought together 264 athletes from 29 nations and sent them home with plenty of memories.

Japan's golden week

The host nation, which is preparing to host the Asian Para Games this October, made its presence felt from the very first session, claiming eight of the 22 gold medals on offer, the most of any nation at the competition. 

Racing in front of a home crowd, Naohide Yamaguchi (S14/SB14) led the charge with double gold medals. The reigning Paralympic and world champion — and current world record holder in the men's 100m breaststroke SB14 — topped the podium in the men's 100m freestyle on Day 1 before returning on Day 2 to win the 100m breaststroke in 1:02.92, just 0.39 seconds above his own world record. 

Paris 2024 bronze medallist Aira Kinoshita (SB14/SM14) was Japan's standout female performer, claiming gold in both the women's 100m breaststroke and 200m individual medley, and adding silver finishes across the programme. 

Takayuki Suzuki (SB3), a three-time Paralympic champion competing at 39 years of age, demonstrated that experience remains a formidable asset. The veteran claimed gold in the men's 50m breaststroke, reinforcing his status as one of the sport's enduring figures. 

Eigo Tanaka (S5) and Kaede Hinata (S5) went first and second in the men's 50m backstroke, giving Japan a one-two finish in the event while Masaki Saito (S14) topped the podium in the men's 100m backstroke, and Anku Matsuda (S14) closed Japan's golden run with victory in the men's 100m butterfly on the final day. 

Chiu Yee Lau (S14) rounded off the host nation's gold medal tally by winning the women's 100m freestyle on the opening day.

🇨🇴 Paralympic champion Nelson Crispin is another star who will shine at the Para Swimming World Series Fuji-Shizuoka this week.

Stay tuned and don’t miss the action!#ParaSwimming #WorldSeries2026 #FujiShizuoka2026 pic.twitter.com/n14Rw2gUhp

— Para Swimming (@Para_swimming) May 25, 2026

Colombia's Trío de Oro

If Japan dominated the overall standings, Colombia produced a standout collective performance among the visiting nations.

The celebrated Trío de Oro — Nelson Crispin Corzo, Carlos Serrano and Sara Vargas — arrived in Japan and delivered across all three days of competition, claiming four gold medals between them.

Serrano (S7) opened Colombia's account with gold in the men's 50m butterfly, with Crispin (S6) taking silver in the same race to give the South American nation a one-two finish. Serrano then returned on the final day to win the men's 50m freestyle, with Crispin once again on the podium in third. 

Vargas (S7), meanwhile, was equally dominant on the women's side, winning both the 50m butterfly on Day 1 and the 50m freestyle on Day 3, and finishing as one of the most decorated athletes of the entire competition.

Hong Kong, China left Fuji-Shizuoka with three gold medals, all of them with a familiar name on the scoreboard. 

Yui Lam Chan (S14/SM14) was the driving force behind the region's performance, claiming gold in the women's 200m individual medley and women's 100m butterfly across the final two days of competition. Hon Yin Wong (S14) added a third gold for Hong Kong winning the men's 400m freestyle on Day 2, underlining the strength of the region's S14 programme.

🚨 World Record Alert 🚨

🇪🇸 Spain’s Paralympic champion Teresa Perales clocked 4:17.71 in the women’s 150m medley SM3, breaking the world record on the opening day of the Para Swimming World Series Fuji-Shizuoka 2026.

¡Enhorabuena, Teresa! #ParaSwimming #FujiShizuoka2026 pic.twitter.com/A1jkNlna52

— Para Swimming (@Para_swimming) May 29, 2026

World record alert

Before the competition had barely begun, history was made. On the opening day of racing, Spain's seven-time Paralympic champion Teresa Perales stepped into the water for the women's 150m individual medley SM3 heats and touched the wall in 4:17.71 — a new world record.

Thailand claimed two gold medals through Nithikorn Jeampiriyakul (S14) and Nattharinee Khajhonmatha (S14) in the men’s and women's 200m freestyle events, respectively.  

Poland's Oliwia Jablonska (S9) was equally impressive, winning the women's 400m freestyle and 100m backstroke across two days of competition. 

South Korea's Giseong Jo (SM4) claimed gold in the men's 150m individual medley while the Philippines' Angel Mae Otom (S5) topped the podium in the women's 50m backstroke.

The full results of the Para Swimming World Series Fuji-Shizuoka 2026 can be found here.

Eyes on Guadalajara

With Fuji-Shizuoka now complete, the Para Swimming World Series 2026 heads to Guadalajara, Mexico — the final stop before the season's flagship event. 

The World Para Swimming European Championships in Kocaeli, Turkey, scheduled for 7 to 12 September at the Gebze Olympic Swimming Pool, remains the primary target for many of the athletes in the field, and Guadalajara will offer one last opportunity to sharpen competitive form ahead of that defining moment in the calendar.