2018 Asian Games: Day 6 Prelims Live Recap

SWIMMING AT THE 2018 ASIAN GAMES

The final preliminary session from Jakarta will feature the women’s 50 free, 400 free and 200 IM, along with the men’s 50 breast, 400 medley relay, and an early heat in the men’s 1500 timed final. The fastest seeded heat contested during finals will feature two-time defending champ and world record holder Sun Yang.

Among the highlights for the prelim session will be Japan’s Rikako Ikee in the women’s 50 free, Japan’s Yasuhiro Koseki in the men’s 50 breast, and Chinese teenagers Wang Jianjiahe and Li Bingjie in the women’s 400 free.

Come finals, Ikee will be eyeing her sixth gold and seventh medal of the competition, Koseki will be looking for the breaststroke sweep, and Wang will look to complete the distance treble over Li, who’s taken silver to her teammate in both the 800 and 1500. However, Li has won an individual gold in the 200 and added another in the 4×200 free relay (as did Wang).

Women’s 50 Free Prelims

  • Asian Record: 24.04, Liu Xiang (CHN), 2017
  • Asian Games Record: 24.87, Chen Xinyi (CHN), 2017
  1. Rikako Ikee, JPN, 25.09
  2. Liu Xiang, CHN, 25.14
  3. Wu Qingfeng, CHN, 25.47
  4. Mayuka Yamamoto, JPN, 25.33
  5. Ting Wen Quah, SGP, 25.65
  6. Xiang Qi Amanda Lim, SGP, 25.73
  7. Kim Minju, KOR, 25.83
  8. Stephanie Au, HKG, 26.04

Rikako Ikee easily won the final heat of the women’s 50 free in a time of 25.09, giving her the top seed for tonight’s final. China’s Liu Xiang (25.14) and Wu Qingfeng (25.47) won the other two circle-seeded heats for seeds two and three. Those are the only three swimmers in the field who have been sub-25 this year, led by Ikee who was 24.47 at the Japan Open.

Men’s 50 Breast Prelims

  1. Yan Zibei, CHN, 27.06
  2. Yasuhiro Koseki, JPN, 27.28
  3. Vladislav Mustafin, UZB, 27.41
  4. Sun Jiajun, CHN, 27.48
  5. Dmitriy Balandin, KAZ, 27.53
  6. Sandeep Sejwal, IND, 27.95
  7. Daiya Seto, JPN / Chao Man Hou, MAC, 27.97

Yan Zibei exploded for a new Chinese and Asian Games Record from the penultimate heat in the men’s 50 breast, clocking 27.06 to lower his previous National mark of 27.16. He also shattered Dmitriy Balandin‘s meet record of 27.78, as did four other swimmers.

Asian Record holder Yasuhiro Koseki was 2nd-fastest overall in 27.28, and Uzbekistan’s Vladislav Mustafin lowered his National Record by a tenth for 3rd in 27.41. China’s Sun Jiajun (27.48) and Balandin himself (27.53) were also under the old record.

Chao Man Hou set a new Macanese Record in tying for 7th with Japanese IM/butterfly specialist Daiya Seto, as they both hit 27.97.

Women’s 400 Free Prelims

  • Asian Record: 4:01.75, Li Bingjie (CHN), 2017
  • Asian Games Record: 4:05.58, Shao Yiwen (CHN), 2010
  1. Chihiro Igarashi, JPN, 4:15.89
  2. Wang Jianjiahe, CHN, 4:19.02
  3. Waka Kobori, JPN, 4:19.62
  4. Ho Nam Wai, HKG, 4:19.65
  5. Ching Hwee Gan, SGP, 4:19.70
  6. Tang Tsoi Lam Katii, HKG, 4:19.74
  7. Li Bingjie, CHN, 4:20.53
  8. Kim Jinha, KOR, 4:21.75

Japan’s Chihiro Igarashi was dominant in the second heat of the women’s 400 free, registering a time of 4:15.89 to grab the top seed by over three seconds.

800 and 1500 gold medalist Wang Jianjiahe did just enought in the first heat to touch first in 4:19.02, clearly saving a lot in reserve for the final, as did her countrymate Li Bingjie. Bingjie ended up 7th overall in 4:20.53, but was 2nd in heat 2 to Igarashi and was clearly leaving a lot in the tank as well.

Men’s 1500 Free Timed Final (Early Heat)

  • Asian Record: 14:31.02, Sun Yang (CHN), 2012 – WR
  • Asian Games Record: 14:35.43, Sun Yang (CHN), 2010
  1. Advait Page, IND, 15:29.96
  2. Cheuk Ming Ho, HKG, 15:38.76
  3. Lee Hojoon, KOR, 15:44.99
  4. Jun Wei Glen Lim, SGP, 15:45.04
  5. Lam Chak Hang, HKG, 16:11.50
  6. Kenessary Kenenbayev, KAZ, 17:08.44
  7. Mubal Azzam Ibrahim, MAL, 19:26.54

India’s Advait Page paced the first heat of the men’s 1500 in 15:29.96, finishing just under four seconds off his National Record of 15:25.98. Cheuk Ming Ho of Hong Kong took 2nd in 15:38.76, getting under his old National Record (16:00.66) by a whopping 21.90 seconds.

Women’s 200 IM Prelims

  • Asian Record: 2:07.57, Ye Shiwen (CHN), 2012
  • Asian Games Record: 2:08.94, Ye Shiwen (CHN), 2014
  1. Yui Ohashi, JPN, 2:13.55
  2. Zhou Min, CHN, 2:13.82
  3. Miho Teramura, JPN, 2:15.73
  4. Yang Chang, CHN, 2:16.45
  5. Kim Seoyeong, KOR, 2:16.73
  6. Kan Cheuk Tung Natalie, HKG, 2:17.90
  7. Jamie Yeung, HKG, 2:18.39
  8. Ressa Kania Dewi, IDN, 2:18.69

Miho TeramuraYui Ohashi and Zhou Min all easily won their respective heats in the women’s 200 IM, with Ohashi’s 2:13.55 standing up as the top time heading into the final. Zhou sits 2nd in 2:13.82, and Teramura is back in 3rd in 2:15.73.

Those are three of the four fastest women in the field this year, with the other being Korean Kim Seoyeong. Seoyeong was a quick 2:08.61 at Korean Nationals, and qualified 5th with an easy 2:16.73. Ohashi is the fastest Asian in 2018 with her 2:08.16 at Pan Pacs.

Men’s 400 Medley Relay Prelims

  • Asian Record: 3:30.19, Japan, 2017
  • Asian Games Record: 3:31.37, China, 2014
  1. Japan, 3:36.95
  2. China, 3:38.14
  3. Kazakhstan, 3:38.57
  4. Singapore, 3:39.69
  5. Indonesia, 3:40.00
  6. Korea, 3:41.85
  7. Chinese Taipei, 3:43.96
  8. Hong Kong, 3:44.16

The Japanese men won heat 2 in the 400 medley relay in 3:36.95, beating out Kazakhstan (3:38.57) for the top seed heading into the final. The Kazakh’s sit 3rd overall, with the Chinese (3:38.14) winning the other heat for the 2nd seed. Kazakhstan had a notably quick breaststroke split from Balandin (59.39).

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SLSR
5 years ago

Hey Ice, how would you evaluate Singapore’s chances at a medley relay medal tonight? (without any DQ help, haha)

ice
Reply to  SLSR
5 years ago

May need one DQ tonight haha. We sent out an A squad in the heats but clearly, Joseph didnt go all out. I don’t expect much time drop in the breast and free legs, so alot will depend on whether Joseph can lift enough, and if Quah has anymore left in him. Quah’s not been in amazing form in individual events, but has lifted this week for relays. We’ll need a 54s opening leg from him and for Joseph to split low 51s minimally to get a bronze

SLSR
Reply to  ice
5 years ago

Yea, my sentiments exactly. i reckon we need to drop about 2 seconds from our heat time. On paper, that would seem pretty easy given that Joseph split 53.30 in the morning and Zheng Wen was 55.28. But of course it’s the tail end of the meet and fatigue is a huge factor.

Also agree with you that our breast and free legs are about as good as it gets. Lionel split a 1:01.55 which is already his fastest ever.

ice
Reply to  SLSR
5 years ago

Don’t have my stats with me now, but pretty sure that’s also one of Darren’s fastest splits. We can possibly swop in Darren Chua who had a 49.35 split in the heats of the 4×100 free but I don’t think the coaches will. In any case, the drop will not be much still

SLSR
Reply to  ice
5 years ago

Yea, it’s his fastest split, although he did go 49.50 in the individual race last year.

Jem
Reply to  ice
5 years ago

Agreed going by the relay splits (and Darren Lim’s individual race) it would seem that Darren Chua might split a faster FR leg on that medley. But it would probably be 0.2-0.3 faster at most.

taa
5 years ago

Is Sun Yang going to swim 1500?

Love to Swim
Reply to  taa
5 years ago

Yes

ice
5 years ago

One thing that has gone somewhat under the radar is how off Nguyen of Vietnam has been. She barely missed out on the 400IM bronze which she won in 2014, and then now finishes way behind in the 200IM. Even at the southeast Asian level which she usually dominates, she’s only 4th among the swimmers.

What happened to her? I’m quite surprised

Hswimmer
Reply to  ice
5 years ago

Maybe over trained. She swims a LOT all year.

50free
5 years ago

Are Asain records like by race or by whether the person is representing a country in Asia?

Zanna
Reply to  50free
5 years ago

Country

Love to Swim
Reply to  50free
5 years ago

What is Asian race?

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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