2018 Asian Games: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

SWIMMING AT THE 2018 ASIAN GAMES

• August 19th-24th, 2018
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Schedule & Results
• Day 3 Preview

The third day of the 2018 Asian Games from Jakarta, Indonesia will feature seven different events: the women’s 50 back, 400 IM, 100 fly and 800 free relay, and the men’s 50 free, 200 breast and 400 free.

Rikako Ikee and Sun Yang will be back in action after some big performances on day 2, as Ikee won her 2nd and 3rd gold medals of the meet in the 50 fly and 100 free, and Sun won the 800 free and took 2nd in the 4×200 free relay after winning the 200 free on day 1. Sun will aim to defend his throne in the men’s 400 freestyle, while Ikee will look to follow up her victory at the Pan Pacific Championships in the women’s 100 fly with another gold medal here.

We’ll also see world record holder Ippei Watanabe of Japan in the men’s 200 breast, 2015 World Champion Fu Yuanhui in the women’s 50 back, and Pan Pac gold medalist Yui Ohashi in the women’s 400 IM.

We’ll also see Singapore’s Joseph Schooling make his individual debut at the competition in the men’s 50 free after an impressive 1:46.6 split on their 800 free relay.

Women’s 50 Back Prelims

• Asian Record: 27.06, Zhao Jing (CHN), 2009 – WR
• Asian Games Record: 27.45, Gao Chang (CHN), 2010

1. Liu Xiang, CHN, 27.83
2. Fu Yuanhui, CHN, 28.12
3. Natsumi Sakai, JPN, 28.25
4. Park Hanbyeol, KOR / Anna Konishi, JPN, 28.69
5. –
6. Stephanie Au, HKG, 28.81
7. Wong Toto Kwan To, HKG, 28.94
8. Shin Youngyeon, KOR, 29.10

It’s a Chinese 1-2 heading into tonight’s 50 back final as Liu Xiang (27.83) and Fu Yuanhui (28.12) hold the top two seeds in the field. Fu, the 2015 World Champion in this event (and 2017 silver medalist) leads the world rankings this year in 27.16, while Liu sits 4th in 27.40. In the three times this event has been contested at the Asian Games, China has three golds.

Natsumi Sakai of Japan lowered her season-best of 28.33 down to 28.25 for the 3rd seed, and Park Hanbyeol of Korea and Anna Konishi of Japan are dead-locked in 4th at 28.69.

Men’s 50 Free Prelims

• Asian Record: 21.87, Katsumi Nakamura (JPN), 2018
• Asian Games Record: 21.94, Ning Zetao (CHN), 2014

1. Yu Hexin, CHN, 22.21
2. Kenneth To, HKG, 22.38
3. Virdhawal Khade, IND, 22.43
4. Katsumi Nakamura, JPN, 22.50
5. Teong Tzen Wei, SGP, 22.56
6. Lin Chienliang, TPE, 22.60
7. Sunichi Nakao, JPN, 22.62
8. Adilbek Mussin, KAZ, 22.63

China’s Yu Hexin is the top qualifier out of the men’s 50 free with his showing of 22.21, followed by a pair of National Record breakers in Kenneth To and Virdhawal Khade.

To, who formerly represented Australia, broke the Hong Kong Record by .01 in 22.38, and Khade took out his own Indian mark in 22.43 (previously 22.55). Top seed coming in Katsumi Nakamura of Japan cruised to the 4th seed in 22.50.

Joseph Schooling missed the final in 23.05, but Singapore will have a representative swim at night as Teong Tzen Wei qualified 5th in 22.56, just off Schooling’s National Record of 22.47.

Women’s 400 IM Prelims

• Asian Record: 4:28.43, Ye Shiwen (CHN), 2012
• Asian Games Record: 4:32.97, Ye Shiwen (CHN), 2014

1. Yui Ohashi, JPN, 4:42.11
2. Zhou Min, CHN, 4:42.83
3. Sakiko Shimizu, JPN, 4:45.88
4. Vien Nguyen, VIE, 4:47.56
5. Kim Seoyeong, KOR, 4:48.59
6. Yang Chang, CHN, 4:53.56
7. Azzahra Permathani, IDN, 4:53.58
8. Hoi Kui Lam, HKG, 4:58.54

Yui Ohashi of Japan cruised home in the final heat of the women’s 400 IM, doing just enough to hold off China’s Zhou Min for the win and the top seed in 4:42.11. Zhou was 4:42.83 for 2nd overall, improving her season-best by nearly half a second.

Ohashi’s countrymate Sakiko Shimizu won heat 1 for the 3rd seed overall in 4:45.88, and Vietnam’s Vien Nguyen and South Korea’s Kim Seoyeong were also sub-4:50 for 4th and 5th.

Ohashi will be the clear favorite at finals, having been 4:33.77 at the Pan Pacific Championships, and Shimizu won’t be far behind having been 4:36.27 there. Both Nguyen and Kim have been 4:38 this year, but Zhou is certainly a threat as she holds a lifetime best of 4:33.50.

Men’s 200 Breast Prelims

• Asian Record: 2:06.67, Ippei Watanabe (JPN), 2017 – WR
• Asian Games Record: 2:07.67, Dmitriy Balandin (KAZ), 2014

1. Ippei Watanabe, JPN, 2:11.92
2. Yan Zibei, CHN, 2:12.45
3. Yasuhiro Koseki, JPN, 2:12.77
4. Denis Petrashov, KGZ, 2:12.89
5. Qin Haiyang, CHN, 2:13.51
6. Cho Sungiae, KOR, 2:14.05
7. Chao Man Hou, MO, 2:15.34
8. Amro Al Wir, JOR, 2:16.15

World Record holder Ippei Watanabe leads the men’s 200 breast field in a time of 2:11.92, edging out China’s Yan Zibei (2:12.45) in the third and final heat.

His teammate Yasuhiro Koseki sits 3rd in 2:12.77, and Zibei’s countryman Qin Haiyang holds down 5th (2:13.51) after winning heat 1. Kyrgyzstan’s Denis Petrashov is 4th (2:12.89) after coming within three-tenths of his National Record.

Chao Man Hou broke his own Macanese Record from the 2017 World Championships to qualify 7th in 2:15.34, inching out his old mark of 2:15.41.

Women’s 100 Fly Prelims

• Asian Record: 56.07, Liu Zige (CHN), 2009
• Asian Games Record: 56.61, Chen Xinyi (CHN), 2014

1. Zhang Yufei, CHN, 57.68
2. Rikako Ikee, JPN, 57.81
3. An Sehyeon, KOR, 58.97
4. Ai Soma, JPN, 59.16
5. Park Yerin, KOR, 59.57
6. Lin Xintong, CHN, 59.94
7. Jing Wen Quah, SGP, 1:00.08
8. Kin Lok Chan, HKG, 1:00.39

Zhang Yufei of China and Rikako Ikee of Japan dominated the final heat of the women’s 100 fly in times of 57.68 and 57.81, making them the top-2 of the morning by over a second. Zhang improves her season-best of 58.26 with that swim, and has a reasonable shot at her all-time best of 57.29 in the final.

Korean An Sehyeon was the only other swimmer sub-59 in 58.97, and Japan’s Ai Soma sits 4th in 59.16. Both swimmers have been quick this year, holding season-bests of 57.91 and 58.03 respectively.

Men’s 400 Free Prelims

• Asian Record: 3:40.14, Sun Yang (CHN), 2012
• Asian Games Record: 3:41.53, Park Tae Hwan (KOR), 2010

1. Sun Yang, CHN, 3:49.13
2. Kosuke Hagino, JPN, 3:50.67
3. Lee Ho-Joon, KOR, 3:52.80
4. Ji Xinjie, CHN, 3:53.11
5. Naito Ehara, JPN, 3:53.24
6. Huu Kim Son Nguyen, VIE, 3:54.01
7. Khader Baqlah, JOR, 3:54.27
8. Aflah Prawira, IDN, 3:54.45

Sun Yang pulled away from Kosuke Hagino on the final 100 to win the third and final heat of the men’s 400 freestyle in 3:49.13, making him the top seed for tonight’s final. Hagino was 3:50.67 for 2nd, well clear of #3 Lee Ho-Joon (3:52.80).

In addition to Sun and Hagino, 4th seed Ji Xinjie and 5th seed Naito Ehara have been sub-3:50 this year, with Ehara the 3rd fastest Asian in 2018 at 3:46.64 behind only Sun and the absent Park Tae Hwan.

Women’s 4×200 Free Relay Prelims

• Asian Record: 7:42.08, China, 2009 – WR
• Asian Games Record: 7:51.81, China, 2014

1. China, 8:01.41
2. Japan, 8:05.21
3. Korea, 8:25.14
4. Singapore, 8:25.66
5. Hong Kong, 8:32.69
6. Indonesia, 8:34.05
7. Thailand, 8:52.10
8. Macau, 9:03.42

China will look to extend their unbeaten streak in the women’s 800 free relay in the final, with Japan being their biggest competitors, but here in the prelims neither team showed their hand with essentially an automatic berth for the final (with only nine teams competing). China posted the top time in 8:01.41, followed by Japan in 8:05.21.