2018 Asian Games Day 3 Preview: Balandin Goes Missing From 2Breast

SWIMMING AT THE 2018 ASIAN GAMES

• August 19th-24th, 2018
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Schedule & Results

Although China and Japan continue to dominate the overall swimming medal table, smaller nations with standout swimmers are starting to race into the spotlight. The Singaporean men’s 4x200m freestyle relay, for example, launched itself onto the bronze medal podium on day 2, with the help of star Joseph Schooling, earning its first swimming medal of these Games.

For tomorrow, Tuesday, the nation of Korea has a couple of medal chances on the women’s side with An Sehyeon and Kim Seoyeong both entering the water for their respective events of the women’s 100m fly and 400m IM.

Day 3 Storylines to Watch:

• China’s Fu Yuanhui, the 100m backstroke bronze medalist from Rio, will try to continue her nation’s winning streak in the 50m back at the Asian Games. China has never lost the sprint back event at an Asian Games and Fu enters as the top seed in 27.16. Liu Xiang will try to make it a 1-2 China punch, while Japan’s Natsumi Sakai lingers as a possible gold medal spoiler.
• Schooling will be making his Asian Games individual event debut in the 50m freestyle, although he’ll be racing for a finals spot out of Heat 5. He’s seeded with a time of 22.80, while Japan’s Katsumi Nakamura holds the top seed in 22.12.
• Korea has won 2 swimming medals thus far in Jakarta, courtesy of Kang Jiseok in the men’s 50m back and Lee Juho in the men’s 100m back. Now it’s the women’s turn, with the aforementioned Sehyeon and Seoyeong trying the women’s 100m fly and 400m IM for size. Both women have a shot at the podium, but Japan’s IM queen Yui Ohashi and fly maestro Rikako Ikee will be up to challenge.
• A showdown between Olympic champion Dmitriy Balandin and world record holder Ippei Watanabe was highly anticipated for night 3 in the men’s 200m breast, but the Kazakhstani is nowhere to be seen on the start lists. His Instagram account points to his being in Jakarta, however, and the World Championships bronze medalist was originally thought to be swimming his signature event. Watanabe will still have China’s Qin Haiyang and his own teammate Yasuhiro Koseki with which to contend, but, unless there is an error on the start lists, he will not get the opportunity to challenge the Olympic champion.
• Sun Yang will try for his 4th medal of these Games, seeded first by a large margin in the 400m free. The Chinese Olympian has already won gold in the 200m and 800m free, while also snagging silver on his squad’s 4x200m free relay.
• Speaking of that relay, the women’s 4×2 race will take place on day 3, with Japan and China as the clear front-runners.