1. Early Life and Education
Rie Kaneto's early life and academic journey laid the foundation for her later athletic success.
1.1. Birth and Early Life
Rie Kaneto was born on September 8, 1988, in Yamauchi-cho, Shobara, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Her blood type is A.
1.2. Education
Kaneto's educational path included attendance at Shobara Municipal Yamauchi Elementary School, followed by Shobara Municipal Shobara Junior High School. She then attended Hiroshima Prefectural Miyoshi High School, where she began to gain recognition for her swimming prowess, winning the Inter-High School Championships. After high school, she enrolled in the Faculty of Physical Education at Tokai University. She continued her studies at Tokai University, completing a master's degree in the Graduate School of Physical Education in 2013.
2. Swimming Career
Rie Kaneto's swimming career was marked by consistent performance and a gradual ascent to international prominence, culminating in an Olympic gold medal.
2.1. Early Career and Domestic Achievements
Kaneto began her competitive swimming journey early, achieving success at the high school level by winning the Inter-High School Championships in the women's 200m breaststroke in 2006. Her training was notably overseen by coach Tsuyoshi Kato. Her strong domestic performances continued into her university years. In 2008, at the Japan Championships, she secured second place in the women's 200m breaststroke, behind her university senior Megumi Taneda, meeting the FINA A-standard entry time of 2:26.28 and earning her selection for the Beijing Olympics. In 2009, she further established her dominance in Japan, winning the women's 200m breaststroke at the Japan Championships and setting a new Japanese national record on April 16. She again broke her own Japanese record for the 200m breaststroke at the Japan Student Championships on September 6 of the same year, clocking 2:20.72, which also stood as an Asian record. By 2010, she was a top contender, placing second at the Japan Championships and first at the Japan Student Championships in the 200m breaststroke. In April 2011, she signed a contract as an athlete affiliated with the Jaked Elite Team of Footmark Co., Ltd. She relocated to Gifu Prefecture in 2011 and joined the Gifu Mizuho Sports Garden in 2014, continuing her training. Kaneto continued to achieve high rankings domestically, including a second-place finish at the 2011 Japan Championships, third place in 2012, and first place in 2013, 2015, and 2016, with her 2016 victory again setting a new Japanese record.
2.2. International Competitions
Kaneto competed extensively on the international stage, consistently delivering strong results across various major events.
2.2.1. Universiade
Kaneto made her international debut at the 2007 Summer Universiade in Bangkok, Thailand. She earned a silver medal in the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2:25.63, narrowly finishing behind South Korea's Jung Seul-ki by less than 0.04 seconds. This performance elevated her to twelfth in the world rankings. Two years later, at the 2009 Summer Universiade in Belgrade, Serbia, Kaneto claimed the gold medal in the 200m breaststroke, setting a new Asian and Japanese record of 2:22.32, just 0.01 seconds off her previous national championships record of 2:22.33.
2.2.2. Olympic Games
Kaneto first represented Japan at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, participating in the women's 200m breaststroke. She advanced to the final and finished seventh with a time of 2:25.14, out-touching fellow Japanese swimmer Megumi Taneda by nine hundredths of a second (0.09). Her pinnacle achievement came at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. On August 11 (local time), she won the gold medal in the women's 200m breaststroke, marking Japan's first gold in this event since Kyoko Iwasaki at the Barcelona Olympics 24 years prior. The day after her gold medal win, at a press conference in Rio, she stated her intention not to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, saying she could not envision herself participating as a competitor.
2.2.3. World Championships
Kaneto participated in several FINA World Aquatics Championships. At the 2009 World Championships, she finished fifth in the women's 200m breaststroke. She achieved the same fifth-place ranking at the 2011 World Championships. In 2013, at the World Championships in Barcelona, she placed fourth in the 200m breaststroke. In short course competition, she earned a silver medal at the 2014 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in Doha in the 200m breaststroke. She competed again at the 2015 World Championships, finishing sixth in the 200m breaststroke. In October 2016, she won the women's 200m breaststroke at the Short Course World Cup and Japan Championships.
2.2.4. Pan Pacific Championships
Kaneto competed at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. At the 2010 event in Irvine, she finished seventh in the women's 200m breaststroke. At the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships in Gold Coast, Australia, she secured a silver medal in the women's 200m breaststroke.
2.2.5. Asian Games
Kaneto participated in the Asian Games. At the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, she placed fourth in the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2:25.63, finishing behind two Chinese swimmers and the new champion, Jeong Da-rae of South Korea. She later won a silver medal in the women's 200m breaststroke at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, with a time of 2:21.92.
2.3. Personal Bests
The table below lists Rie Kaneto's personal best times in her competitive swimming events, along with the records she achieved.
| Stroke | Distance | Course | Time | Date Achieved | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breaststroke | 656 ft (200 m) | Long Course | 2:19.65 | April 9, 2016 | Japan Championships | Japanese Record |
| Breaststroke | 656 ft (200 m) | Short Course | 2:15.76 | October 9, 2016 | World Cup Doha | Japanese Record |
3. Retirement
Rie Kaneto officially retired from competitive swimming in March 2018. She held a retirement press conference in Gifu Prefecture on March 16, 2018.
4. Post-Retirement Activities and Personal Life
After her retirement from professional swimming, Rie Kaneto began a new chapter in her personal and professional life. She revealed at her retirement press conference that she had married a senior member of the Tokai University swim team in 2017. On November 22, 2019, she gave birth to her first child, a daughter, at a hospital in Nagano Prefecture. On April 1, 2019, it was announced that she had joined the entertainment agency Amuse. In October 2019, the "Kaneto Cup" was established, further cementing her legacy in the swimming community.
5. Awards and Honors
Rie Kaneto received several significant awards and honors in recognition of her outstanding athletic achievements.
- Shobara Citizen's Honor Award: On October 15, 2016, a celebratory parade was held in her hometown of Shobara, followed by a gold medal report meeting and the conferral of the Shobara Citizen's Honor Award. She was the seventh person in history to receive this award.
- Purple Ribbon Medal: In November 2016, she was awarded the Purple Ribbon Medal by the Japanese government.
- Hiroshima Prefectural Honor Award: On November 20, 2016, she was honored with the Hiroshima Prefectural Honor Award, becoming the tenth recipient of this prestigious award from her home prefecture.
- VOGUE JAPAN Women of the Year 2016: Also in November 2016, Kaneto was recognized by VOGUE JAPAN as one of their "Women of the Year" for 2016.
- Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year: She was also named the Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year for 2016 by Swimming World magazine.