3 National Records Fall On Day 2 Of 2017 Japan Swim

JAPAN SWIM 2017 (JAPANESE NATIONALS)

• Thursday, April 13th – Sunday, April 16th, 2017
• NGK Arena, Nagoya, Japan
• Qualification Meet for 2017 World Championships, World University Games and World Junior Championships
• Prelims at 9:30am local/8:30pm (night before) EDT; Finals at 6pm local/5am EDT
• Meet Information
• Entry List (in Japanese)
• JPN Qualifying Times (in Japanese)
• Live Stream
• Live Results

MEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• FINA A – 15:12.79
• JPN QT – 15.01.18
• The Podium
  • Kouhei Yamamoto – 15:03.90
  • Syogo Takeda – 15:06.13
  • Shingo Nakaya – 15:12.15

The most grueling freestyle event kicked off for the men tonight in Nagoya, with Kouhei Yamamoto taking the 1500m victory in 15:03.90. That mark falls comfortably under the FINA A qualifying standard, but just over a second shy of the JPN consideration time, so potential discretion may come into play down the road when the federation determines Japan’s ultimate roster for this summer’s World Championships.

Yamamoto has proven in the past he can get below 15:00, notching the still-standing Japanese national record of 14:54.80 back at the 2014 open. Silver tonight went to Syogo Takeda and bronze to Shingo Nakaya, who finished in times of 15:06.13 and 15:12.15, respectively.

WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• FINA A – 31.22
• JPN QT – 30.82
• The Podium
  • Satomi Suzuki – 30.66 *NR, *QT
  • Kanako Watanabe – 31.34
  • Miho Taramura – 31.60

The triple medalist from the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Satomi Suzuki, roared to the wall tonight in the women’s 50m breaststroke, clocking a time of 30.66 to score the only sub-31 second mark of the field. Suzuki’s time cracked a new national record, overtaking the former 30.83 set by Mina Matsushima at the 2015 World University Games.

Silver tonight went to Kanako Watanabe in 31.34, while Miho Taramura finished on the podium as well in 31.60. Watanabe was the 4th place finisher in the women’s 100m breaststroke in Kazan, but won the 200m breaststroke event at the same meet. She couldn’t find the same success in Rio, however, finishing 15th and 13th, respectively in the 100m and 200m breaststroke races.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• FINA A – 27.51
• JPN QT – 27.37
• The Podium
  • Yasuhiro Koseki – 27.23 *NR, *QT
  • Masaki Niiyama – 27.59
  • Kouichirou Okazaki – 27.66

Within minutes of the women’s 50m breaststroke national record going down, Yasuhiro Koseki inflicting damage on the men’s edition of the race. Clocking a speedy 27.23, Koseki took out the previous record of 27.30 held by legendary breaststroke Kosuke Kitajima since 2010.

Koseki is now 2-for-2 here in Nagoya, having secured a World Championships berth in the 100m breast event yesterday in a speedy 59.26 to score the only sub-minute time of the field. Finishing in silver in the 50m was Masaki Niiyama (27.59), with Kouichirou Okazaki nabbing bronze in 27.66.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• FINA A – 4:43.06
• JPN QT – 4:38.81
• The Podium
  • Yui Ohhashi- 4:31.42 *NR, *QT
  • Sakiko Shimizu – 4:37.52 *QT
  • Miho Takahashi – 4:39.26

For the 3rd consecutive event tonight, a Japanese national record bit the dust, as 22-year-old Yui Ohhashi nabbed a new mark en route to winning gold in the women’s 400m IM. Taking over the old record of tonight’s silver medalist and 2016 Olympian Sakiko Shimizu, Ohhashi surpassed the 4:34.66 on the books since the Olympic Games.

Ohhashi now sits atop the world rankings throne by well over 3 seconds ahead of Spanish bronze medalist Mireia Belmonte.

The Japanese QT rests at 4:38.81, so Ohhashi is well beneath that standard, as is the 8th place finisher in Rio, Shimizu. Shimizu touched in 4:37.52, while Miho Takahashi nabbed bronze in 4:39.26.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• FINA A – 1:58.68
• JPN QT – 1:57.28
• The Podium:
  • Rikako Ikee – 1:57.07, *QT
  • Chihiro Igarashi – 1:57.67
  • Tomomi Aoki – 1:58.33

Japan’s hopeful hero for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games didn’t disappoint on her 2nd day of these championships, earning her 2nd gold of the meet. Scoring the victory yesterday in a near-national mark of the 50m butterfly, 16-year-old Rikako Ikee threw down a solid 200m freestyle final time of 1:57.07 to nab the Japanese QT for Budapest.

Having recently picked this up event, the 5-time national record holder blasted a personal record and new national mark in this event at the Kosuke Kitajima earlier this year. At that meet, she blasted a 1:56.33, a time which still stands as the 4th fastest in the world. In light of the Katie Ledeckys and Michelle Colemans of the world, just finaling at the World Championships in the 200m free could be considered a successful run for Ikee at this point.

Just behind Ikee was Chihiro Igarashi, yesterday’s 400m freestyle victory. Her 1:57.67 falls above the Japanese QT for Budapest, but she may get the swim having already earned a roster spot. Tomomi Aoki rounded out the podium in 1:58.33.

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• FINA A – 1:47.73
• JPN QT – 1:46.66
• The Podium:
  • Kosuke Hagino – 1:47.29
  • Naito Ehara – 1:47.57
  • Katshuhrio Matsumoto – 1:47.59

In a stark contrast to last year’s Trials winning time of 1:45.50, 22-year-old Olympian Kosuke Hagino produced a much more subdued mark of 1:47.29, not even making it under the Japanese consideration time in the event. In fact, his time was just .16 over the FINA A cut, which is on the sluggish side, considering he was an Olympic finalist in this event in Rio. This morning, Hagino raced to a prelim top seed of 1:47.86, giving viewers hope that he’d drop into at least the sub-1:47 zone for the final, but it wasn’t to be.

We saw Hagino fall just .01 shy of winning his Olympic gold medal event, the 400m IM in session 1 last night, taking at the end by teammate Daiya Seto by just .01, so he improved his podium position at least tonight.

Splitting 52.25/55.04, Hagino slides into the 12th position in the world rankings, tied with Scottish swimmer Duncan Scott from that youngster’s swim at the Arena Pro Swim in Indianapolis. For perspective, Hagino was 1:45.90 for 7th place in Rio, but he has undergone endoscopic surgery last fall, with this meet only his 2nd appearance since returning to competition. He is set to swim 5 events total at this championships, so we’ll see the dynamic athlete race again.

WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE

• FINA A cut – 1:00.61
• JPN QT – 1:00.25
• The Podium:
  • Anna Konishi – 1:00.72
  • Miyuki Takemura – 1:00.73
  • Natsumi Sakai – 1:00.74

The race tonight for the women’s 100m backstroke title shines a light on the fact that backstroke talent is currently lacking among the Japanese women’s ranks. No competitor dropped a time under the minute mark, with also no swimmer even dipping beneath the FINA A cut of 1:00.61.

The race was incredibly close, with just .01 separate gold from silver and also silver from bronze. Anna Konishi touched in 1:00.72 to 2nd place finisher Miyuki Takemura‘s time of 1:00.73, while Natsumi Sakai clocked 1:00.74 to also step onto the podium. Sakai was the title winner from this same meet last year, clocking a much quick mark of 1:00.12. That time would have qualified her for Budapest, but, as it stands after this morning’s race, the Japanese women will be without 100m backstroke representation in Budapest.

MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• FINA A – 54.06
• JPN QT – 53.77
• The Podium
  • Ryosuke Irie – 53.46 *QT
  • Masaki Kaneko – 53.80
  • Takeshi Kawamoto – 54.10

The veteran Ryosuke Irie captured yet another national title in the 100m backstroke. Clocking a mark of 53.46, Irie got the job done to claim gold under both the FINA cut and stiffer Japanese QT, giving him a shot to improve upon his 6th place finish in this event at the 2015 World Championships. Irie checks-in as the 4th fastest performance in the world this season.

Masaki Kaneko,  touched in 53.80 fall just .03 shy of the JPN qualification mark to earn silver, however, tonight’s performance represents the first time Kaneko has delved into sub-54-second territory. Entering the meet his personal best rested at the 54.18 from 2015. Bronze tonight went to Takeshi Kawamoto in 54.10.

Notably, bronze medalist at this meet last year, Junya Koga, failed to make the final. He finished in 9th place with his morning swim of  55.21.