Ryutaro Ibara

Ryutaro Ibara (born 1994) is a Japanese deaf swimmer. He is regarded as one of the most decorated Deaflympic athletes from Japan with a medal tally of 19 at the Deaflympics.

Biography He was born in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo.

Career He completed his higher education at the Tokai University. He eventually joined SMBC Nikko Securities as an athlete employee. 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, freestyle relay, medley relay and medley relay events. He claimed his maiden Deaflympic medal at his first Deaflympic appearance, when he secured a gold medal in the men's 200m backstroke event. He won the 200m backstroke event at 2009 Deaflympics after clocking 2 minutes and 13 seconds.

He continued his medal success at the Deaflympics during his second Deaflympic appearance in 2013, when he clinched 3 silver medals and 2 bronze medals. At the 2013 Deaflympics, he secured silver medals in the men's 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley and 50m backstroke events, whereas he bagged bronze medals in the men's 100m backstroke and 200m backstroke events. At the 2017 Summer Deaflympics, he clinched silver medals in the men's 200m individual medley, medley relay and freestyle relay events. He also managed to take home two bronze medals after his participation in the freestyle relay and 400m individual medley events during 2017 Deaflympics.

In August 2019, he took part at the 5th World Deaf Swimming Championships and set deaf swimming world records in the men's 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley categories. In his fourth successive appearance at the Deaflympics in 2021, he won multiple gold medals in the men's swimming events and ended his long wait for a Deaflympic gold medal since the 2009 Summer Deaflympics. He claimed gold medals in the men's 200m freestyle, 200m individual medley, 100m butterfly and 400m individual medley events at the 2021 edition of the Summer Deaflympics. He also took home two silver medals, in addition to his gold medal collection during the 2021 Summer Deaflympics.

He initially announced his retirement from swimming after the 2021 Summer Deaflympics, but he withdrew the retirement decision after Tokyo had been officially announced as the host city of the 2025 Summer Deaflympics.