Pilar Shimizu

Pilar Shimizu (born May 27, 1996 in Tamuning, Guam) is a Guamanian breaststroke swimmer. While qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympics she broke the 20-year-old national record set by Tammie Kaae, another Olympian from Guam. At these Olympics she became the youngest Olympian ever from Guam at age 16. She finished 42nd in the 100 meter breaststroke event and did not advance to the semifinals.[1] Shimizu also competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics. Internationally, Shimizu has earned three bronze medals at the Oceania Games and two silver medals at the Pacific Games.

Pilar Shimizu
Personal information
Nationality Guam
Born (1996-05-27) May 27, 1996
Tamuning, Guam
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Weight61 kg (134 lb)[1]
Sport
SportSwimming
ClubTarakito Swim Club, Guam[1]
Coached byPepe Laflamme
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing  Guam
Pacific Games
Silver medal – second place 2015 Port Moresby 50 m breaststroke
Silver medal – second place 2015 Port Moresby 100 m breaststroke
Oceania Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Apia 100 m breaststroke
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Nouméa 50 m breaststroke
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Nouméa 100 m breaststroke

Early life and education

Pilar Shimizu was born in the Guamanian city of Tamuning, Guam on May 27, 1996.[1] She attended Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School.[2] Shimizu learned to swim at age four and started training at age seven.[3]

Shimizu is studying public health at Johns Hopkins University, with a goal of working in public health administration.[4]

Collegiate career

Shimizu swam for Johns Hopkins University for two seasons, from 2013 to 2015. During her freshman season, she was part of the 200 yard medley relay team that won the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championship and the NCAA championship. The team received First Team All-America honors as well, and holds the school record, with a time of 1:41.94.[5][6]

In her second season, the 200 yard medley team took home bronze at the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championship, and competed for the NCAA Championship.[6]

Olympic career

Shimizu participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London at the age of 16.[7] She was the youngest Guamanian Olympian in history at the time of competition.[8] Shimizu established the national record for the 100 meter breaststroke (set 20 years prior by Tammie Kaee) during the Games, with a time of 1:15.76.[9][4] Shimizu placed 42nd in the event.[5]

After swimming for Johns Hopkins for two years, Shimizu decided to train with a private club that would better prepare her for the Olympics.[7] Shimizu competed in the 100 meter breaststroke during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, with the goal of setting a personal and national record.[10] She held the Guamanian national record for the event at the time of competition.[11] She finished her event with a time of 1:16.65, which was not sufficient to advance.[12] She set a personal best for the year, but did not surpass the national record. Shimizu said that although this was her second Olympics, she was just as nervous as the first time.[9]

Following the 2016 Olympiad, Shimizu returned to Guam and was a project coordinator at the Guam Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Family Violence. Her project was to increase infrastructure for sexual assault victims in colleges in the Pacific. Shimizu decided to put her swimming career on hiatus while she finishes her degree. She volunteers at a summer camp as a swimming instructor.[4]

International career

Shimizu's first international appearance was at the 2009 East Asian Games. Her first international success came in 2010, when she won the first medal for Guam at the Oceania Swimming Championships, a bronze in the 100 meter at the age of 14.[2] Two years later, she won two more bronze medals, in the 50 meter and 100 meter events.[3]

In the 2015 Pacific Games, Shimizu earned the 50 meter silver medal with a time of 33.35.[13] She also earned a silver medal in the 100 meter breaststroke, with a time of 1:16.05.[14] Adeline Williams won the 100 meter breaststroke with a Pacific Games record time of 1:11.05.[15]

References
  1. "Pilar Shimizu". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  2. "Pilar Shimizu Sets New Swimming Records". Pacific News Center. March 27, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  3. Gina E. Taitano (July 14, 2012) Guam’s youngest Olympian set for London Archived May 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. umatuna.org.
  4. Engichy, Kasmira (August 18, 2017). "Guam's 2016 Olympic swimmer Pilar Shimizu focuses on school after Rio de Janiero(sic)". Wisconsin Rapids Tribune. Pacific Daily News. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  5. O'Shea, Dennis (July 28, 2016). "Johns Hopkins Olympians swimming with the big fish in Rio". Johns Hopkins University. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  6. "Pilar Shimizu Bio". Johns Hopkins. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  7. Balajadia, Robert (July 22, 2016). "Olympic Profile: Swimmer Pilar Shimizu". The Guam Daily Post. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  8. Taitano, Gina (July 18, 2012). "Teen poised to become Guam's youngest athlete to compete at the Olympics". St. Louis Review. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  9. Sablan, Jerick (August 8, 2016). "Shimizu swims personal best for year at Olympics". Pacific Daily News. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  10. Sablan, Jerick (August 7, 2016). "Shimizu hopes to break personal best, record". Pacific Daily News. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  11. Sablan, Jerick (July 23, 2016). "Shimizu will use experience to compete in Rio". Iohud. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  12. "100m Breaststroke Women". Olympic. Archived from the original on February 20, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  13. Garrido, A. T. (July 10, 2015). "Guam's Medal Tally Reaches Eight". Pacific Daily News. p. A45.
  14. Balajadia, Robert (July 20, 2015). "2015 Pacific Games Medal Recap". Guam Sports Network. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  15. Morabang, Henry (July 10, 2015). "Pini bags third gold". The National. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
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