18-year-old Kosuke Hagino takes five titles at Japanese Nationals! - Does the US have some work to do?

Kosuke Hagino is quite a talent. One notable bullet point on Kosuke Hagino resumé is that he beat Michael Phelps in an Olympic Games.

At Japanese Nationals this weekend he swam more than a second faster than he did at the Olympics; (the same race he beat Phelps in), and he is still growing as a swimmer.

1. 400-meter freestyle: 3:45.42
2. 400-meter individual medley: 4:07.61
3. 200-meter individual medley: 1:55.74
4. 200-meter freestyle: 1:46.28
5. 100-meter back: 53.10

In the near future if not all ready it looks as if the United States mens team will no longer be the most dominant nation in swimming.  However, I do suspect our women may carry that torch instead. USA Swimming numbers skew greatly towards girl participation and greedy colleges are embracing female swimmers so as allow for greater economic expansion in mens football and basketball. In the wake of that greed comes fewer mens swimming programs.

Do we have to wait for a debacle like the Australians suffered in the 2012 games to start making the necessary changes for male participation in this sport?

And since I am ranting...

Men are not only in trouble just in the pool but on the economic playing field as well. The industrial age is over and if you are not telling a computer or a software program what to do then a computer or a software program is telling you what to do and for 39% of americans that order goes something like this "We no longer need your services at this time." [YES 39% real unemployment - Read 'percent distribution' table: Link ]

Male statistics suck right now and in so many ways men need help. Improving male participation is swimming is just one simple area of importance. Male swimmers who get into college generally do quite well. I would hate to see that "avenue" turned into a "one-way street" for "women only."