2018 JAPAN SWIM (JAPANESE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS)
- Tuesday, April 3rd – Sunday, April 8th
- Tatsumi International Swim Centre, Tokyo, Japan
- LCM
- Selection meet for Asian Games, Pan Pacific Championships, Jr. Pan Pacific Championships & Youth Olympics
- Meet Site
- SwimSwam Preview
- Start Lists
- Live Results
- Day 1 Prelims/Day 1 Finals
- Day 2 Prelims/Day 2 Finals
- Day 3 Prelims/ Day 3 Finals
- Day 4 Prelims/ Day 4 Finals
Already having a stellar meet here in Tokyo, 17-year-old Rikako Ikee added yet another historic performance to her 2018 Japan Swim collection. While competing on night 5 at the Tatsumi International Swim Centre, site of this summer’s Pan Pacific Championships, the Olympian lowered her own national record mark in the 100m freestyle en route to most likely taking her 3rd gold medal of the competition.
Entering this week, Ikee’s 100m freestyle fastest sat at the 53.68 clocked back in 2016 at the Asian Swimming Championships. In tonight’s semi-final, however, the teen found a new gear and, in doing so, hacked .22 off of that previous standard to check-in with a shiny new NR in 53.46. Taking into the Commonwealth Games performances from Australia, Ikee’s 53.46 now situates the thoroughbred sprinter as 6th fastest in the world this season.
2017-2018 LCM WOMEN 100 FREE
CAMPBELL
52.03
| 2 | Bronte CAMPBELL | AUS | 52.27 | 04/09 |
| 3 | Simone MANUEL | USA | 52.54 | 07/25 |
| 4 | Sarah SJOESTROEM | SWE | 52.67 | 08/07 |
| 5 | Taylor RUCK | CAN | 52.72 | 08/10 |
Comparing her previous performance to tonight’s gold medal-garnering effort, it’s clear Ikee cranked up the speed factor heading out, bringing her opening 50 split to a super quick 25.85 to then close in 27.61.
Previous record – 26.21/27.47 = 53.68
New record – 25.85/27.61 = 53.46
Ikee took the top seed tonight well over half a second ahead of the rest of the field. She will contest the final of the 100m free, as well as the 50m butterfly as her final event of these championships.
You have to think she has the potential to go sub 53 with a 24.2 50 and a 1:55.0 200… wonder if we’ll see it tomorrow. Interesting how similar her pbs in the 50 and 200 are to Ruck, the free races for 2020 should be thrilling with these two, Oleksiak hopefully back to top form, and of course some of the veterans (C1,Sjostrom etc.)
Weird that you put the current olympic and world gold medalist Simone Manuel in the category “etc”. 🙂
And she’s not so old. 🙂
Simone could throw down a good 200 at some point also. She is capable of going 1:55 if she paces well. She should be 23 this summer in the 50 & 52 again in 100 maybe even 51 high.
Decent but if she’s not sub-53 or maybe 53 flat, she may not even smell an Olympic final
That’s the problem with Ikee: she is so good in 50/100/200 free and 50/100 fly that she may final in all of them, but none of her PBs are medal worthy.
She’s still very young. She’s got plenty of time to improve
at this point her 100 fly is pretty medal worthy (second only to sjostrom)
Her newly-minted PB is still slower than the times McKeon and Worrell swam last year.
Pretty sure the 100 free was a semi final swim, not finals
Yes. You are right- semi.
http://swim.seiko.co.jp/en/2018/S70701/eng_index.htm