Japan's four-time Olympic swimming champion Kosuke Kitajima thinks the challenge from his compatriots is tougher than ever, as he bids to qualify for the London Games and go for a third consecutive golden double.
The 29-year-old, who retained the 100m and 200m Olympic breaststroke titles at the 2008 Beijing Games, must finish first or second in each distance at the Japanese national championships starting Monday to book a ticket to London.
Other Olympic title hopefuls competing at the week-long event in Tokyo include world silver medallists Takeshi Matsuda and Ryosuke Irie.
"Four years ago, I made the national team with ease," Kitajima told Japanese media in Columbus, Ohio, in March when he won the 100m and 200m at a US swimming Grand Prix series meeting.
Plagued by injuries, Kitajima has been far from unbeatable in the breaststroke even at home since he moved his training base to the US city of Los Angeles after the Beijing Olympics.