Asian Games start lists drop; Park sticking to freestyle, Hagino in 6 individuals

The start lists have arrived for next week’s swimming events at the Asian Games, shedding some light on the expected schedules for Asia’s top swimmers.

It’s probably not terribly surprising that Park Tae-hwan is sticking to only freestyle events in Incheon. The South Korean superstar had flirted with the idea of adding IM races to his schedule earlier this year, even competing in them at Korean Nationals. It seemed like a lot to take on, but also would have given Park several more chances to compete for medals in front of a home crowd that adores him – he’s Korea’s biggest swimming icon in memory, so much so that the brand-new aquatic center hosting these Games is named after him.

But Park ultimately stuck with freestyle, entering four distances. He’s got his signature 200 and 400, plus the 100, which he won at these Games in 2010, and the 1500. In the longest three distances he’ll race Chinese star Sun Yang, who’s spent the last few weeks stoking up the friendly rivalry between the two.

Japan’s Kosuke Hagino continues to show off his versatility, as he’s got 6 individual event entries in Incheon. He’s in the 200 and 400 IMs, 100 and 200 backs and 200 and 400 frees over the course of the 6-day meet. Hagino is the odds-on favorite to win the IM races, but he runs up against Yang and Park in freestyle, plus his own teammate Ryosuke Irie in the backstrokes. Still, it’s far from a stretch to suggest Hagino could be coming home with six individual medals. He’s also entered on all three Japanese relays, though he’ll probably only wind up swimming the two freestyle relays.

Outside of that, things are pretty much as expected. China gets to show off its young sprinters, the latest event where the country has started to show promise. On the men’s side, 21-year-old national record-holder Ning Zetao pairs with Youth Olympic Games hero Yu Hexin, who is just 18. Both will swim the 50 and 100 frees plus relays. On the women’s side, Shen Duo was another Youth Olympic Games star, and she’ll swim the 100 and 200.

Olympic gold medalist Ye Shiwen is entered in both IMs, where she’ll look to continue a career breakout. Shiwen is also one of a bunch of swimmers entered on China’s free relays, and given how strong that leg of her IM is, there’s a good chance she winds up holding down a leg of China’s relays.

Miki Uchida, who broke a Japanese 50 free record just a few weeks ago, is back in the 50 and 100 frees, and is the core of that country’s female relays.

American college fans will recognize Texas Longhorn freshman Joseph Schooling, one of the nation’s top incoming freshman, as he’s competing for Singapore here. Schooling will swim the 100 fly, 200 fly and 200 IM, while his Singapore teammate Tao Li will look to defend her 50 fly gold medal. She’s also in the 100 fly.

On top of that, the Philippines enter national record-holders Jasmine Alkhaldi (50, 100, 200 frees and 50, 100 fly), Jessie Khing Lacuna (100, 200 free and 100 fly) and Josh Hall (50 and 100 breast).

Here’s a brief summary of some of the biggest names:

  • Sun Yang, CHN, 200, 400, 1500 free
  • Park Tae-hwan, KOR, 100, 200, 400, 1500 free
  • Kosuke Hagino, JPN, 200, 400 free, 100, 200 back, 200, 400 IM
  • Ryosuke Irie, JPN, 50, 100, 200 back
  • Daiya Seto, JPN, 400 IM, 200 fly
  • Kanako Watanabe, JPN, 50, 100, 200 breast, 200 IM
  • Satomi Suzuki, JPN, 50, 100 breast
  • Shen Duo, CHN, 100, 200 free
  • Ye Shiwen, CHN, 200, 400 IM
  • Xu Jiayu, CHN, 50, 100, 200 back
  • Liu Zige, CHN, 200 fly
  • Joseph Schooling, SIN, 100, 200 fly, 200 IM

You can find the full start lists here.

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Danjohnrob
9 years ago

I don’t know if anybody from the SwimSwam administration will read this, but apparently the psyche sheets for the Asian Games are complete now, and there have been some changes. The big ones I noticed are that Hagino will not be swimming the 200 free or 100 back. I’m sure SwimSwam will post something soon.

By the way, does anybody know if any video of the races will be available; even video of finals races after the fact would be fun to see!

Admin
Reply to  Danjohnrob
9 years ago

Hey Danjohnrob – where do you see those? The ones that we found on the website still show him in the 200 free and the 100 back.

Danjohnrob
Reply to  Braden Keith
9 years ago

Braden, They reported it on ‘another competing website’ whose name I doubt you’d appreciate me mentioning, along with a link to the Asian Games website, which showed each planned heat for at least the first day of competition.

Danjohnrob
Reply to  Danjohnrob
9 years ago

OK, I just went back and checked. The article “they” wrote states he’s skipping them, but you’re right, he’s still listed on the AG website with a lane assignment. Maybe they’re wrong, or maybe they had some kind of inside contact. You shouldn’t really report unofficial information, so I’m sorry if I had you concerned unnecessarily!

Josh
9 years ago

I think Yasuhiro Koseki has a really good shot at cracking the world record in the 200 breast.

Sven
Reply to  Josh
9 years ago

Can Japan just pick one really good 200 breaststroker and stick with him? I wish there were more news about what’s up with Akihiro Yamaguchi. Hopefully all is well and he’ll be back down near his WR again soon. The 200 breast has the potential to be one of the most exciting races in Rio, IMO. Between Jamieson, Gyurta, Murdoch, Cordes, Koch, Koseki, and Yamaguchi, it looks like anyone who makes the final heat in Rio will have a shot at a WR (assuming the current 2:07.0 lasts til then, which isn’t looking likely at this point). Hell, if Sprenger can get back on his game by 2016, we can make it a full heat of 2:07’s or faster… Unreal.

Josh
Reply to  Sven
9 years ago

They had one. He won at two consecutive Olympiads. You’ve heard of Kitajima, right? Back to Yamaguchi, his problem was that he broke a world record as a teenager and before he had even made the Japanese National Team. He still hasn’t made one. When he went from being the chaser to the one being chased, he lost something. How do you hang on for four more years when you’re already the best in the world at 18?

I believe Koseki is the future of the 200 breast. He was a freestyler until some time after 2010 when he became inspired by Kitajima and switched to breaststroke. He was primarily a 100 breaststroker (won the 100 at WUGs last year)… Read more »

Jay
9 years ago

What happened to Xin Xin and Cao Yue? No individual events for either.

mcgillrocks
9 years ago

Swimmer of the year will be decided here.

IMO As of today, if Asian Games were called off, Peaty of the swimmer on the year on the mens side. First LC WR by men in 22 months, a mixed relay WR and nearly the 100 breast record.

But my guess is by the end of the meet, he may not be top 3. A WR in the 400 would certainly surpass the non-Olympic 50 breast, and if Hagino can win 5+ individual medals (up to NINE total if he medals in everything) then he beats out Peaty too.

It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out. I say Hagino gets 3 individual golds, and… Read more »

Sven
Reply to  mcgillrocks
9 years ago

I’m curious as to what you predict Hagino’s third individual gold will be. 200 and 400 IM are obviously the first two, but I’m not sure he can win the 200 or the 400 free, and he’s an underdog in both backstroke races as well. I’m thinking that his best shot between those four is either the 200 free or the 200 back (probably the 200 free, though, since he’ll be the freshest for it).

mcgillrocks
Reply to  Sven
9 years ago

It’s am ambitious prediction. I don’t think there’s any one event he’s favored or more than 50% to get gold. But I think if you consider all his chances in all his events, and 35% chance in the 200 back and the 20% chance in the 100 back and the 10% chance in the 200 free sort of add up.

Like you’re never 50% likely to get a 6 when you roll a die, but if you do if enough times there’s a good chance, you just can’t pick one roll for certain that will probably yield the 6. Between all 4 of his non-world leading events, I think there’s a good chance he’ll have a breakout swim in… Read more »

Sven
Reply to  mcgillrocks
9 years ago

He’s certainly got a chance to win a third individual. I think Park is favored before him in the 200 free by almost everyone, but the real wild card to me is Sun Yang. All of them at their peaks, I’ll give the race to Sun every time, but I’m not sure where he is right now as far as conditioning and speed, while Hagino and Park both seem to be in great form lately. It may just be the race of the meet, which would be weird since IIRC it’s the very first event of the week.

I’m unsure of what to expect in the 200 back since I don’t know where it falls in the event lineup… The… Read more »

Lane Four
9 years ago

How is Hagino able to generate such speed and power packed into a smaller body???? Every race I have watched, he amazes me. Honestly, I am in awe of this young man! 🙂

PVK
9 years ago

Hagino best case scenario time predictions:
200 free- 1:45.1
400 free- 3:44.5

100 back- 52.4
200 back- 1:53.5

200 IM- 1:54.9
400 IM- 4:06.5

Philip Johnson
9 years ago

Go Hagino! I’m rooting for him to kill it at the Asian Games.

Reply to  Philip Johnson
9 years ago

Me too!He skips the stereotype of a swimmer big and powerful.

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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