Wang Shun Checks In As 7th Fastest 200 IM Performer Of All Time

2016 ASIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 4-day affair that was the 2016 Asian Swimming Championships came to its conclusion tonight in Tokyo, but not before several additional meet records were shattered. Japan kicked off the competition with Satomi Suzuki‘s win in the women’s 50m breaststroke, where she stopped the clock at a time of 31.28. That outing surpassed the previous record by .09 of a second.

A thrilling tie in the men’s 50m freestyle then ensued, with Japan’s Katsumi Nakamura and China’s Yu Hexin matching times for the gold in 22.03, each surpassing the old championship record of 22.37. Nakamura finished 2nd in yesterday’s 100m freestyle race, which was won by South Korea’s Park Tae Hwan.

Park, who won a total of 4 events with the 100m, 200m, 400m and 1500m freestyle races over the course of this meet, tried his hand at the men’s splash n’ dash as well, but wound up 5th in a time of 22.57.

Yui Ohashi of Japan kept the Japanese winning streak going by taking the women’s 200m IM event. She touched in 2:11.46 to clobber the previous meet record of 2:12.55 and hold off teammate Runa Imai, who settled for silver in 2:12.58. Coming in bronze was Vietnam’s Thi Anh Vien, who scored a time of 2:12.95, a mark which sits just .6 of a second off of her own personal best and national record of 2:12.35.

China’s Wang Shun held the upper hand over Japan’s Daiya Seto in the men’s 200m IM  event, charging to the wall in a super swift 1:56.66. That time was even faster than the 1:56.81 Wang threw down to claim bronze at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan last summer and also surpassed the 1:57.05 he scored in Rio to garner bronze in the event at the 2016 Olympic Games. With his 1:56.66 mark tonight, Wan Shun leapfrogged Australian Leith Brodie to check-in as the 7th fastest performer of all time.

Set0 also had a very respectable race, touching in 1:57.32. That time is just .48 of a second off of his own personal best of 1:57.80 he registered in 2014.

Tonight’s relays were split between China and Japan, with the former reaping gold in the women’s 4x100m medley relay in a new championship record mark of 3:57.97 and the latter earning the top prize in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay. The Chinese squad stopped the clock at a time of 3:16.37 to demolish the previous meet record of 3:20.28.

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Person
7 years ago

IMHO Wang Shun is often overlooked, which he obviously shouldn’t be.The next few years look like they’re gonna have him, Hagino, and Seto as the biggest contenders in the 200 IM.

Personv4.20
Reply to  Person
7 years ago

Would be interesting to see an all asian podium for swimming for Fina World Champs or the Olympics

bobo gigi
Reply to  Personv4.20
7 years ago

Very open event in the next few years (until MP comes back in Tokyo? 🙂 ). On paper Hagino is well ahead. But I haven’t still understood his very poor performance in Rio after a monster 400 IM. He was absolutely destroyed by MP and swam very far from his best time. You’re right about the Asian podium at least for next year in Budapest. Unless an American comes in the conversation. But I don’t see who right now. USA has very good versatile kids who are potential stars in the making but they will be ready for 2024. For 2020 nobody seems able to follow in the footsteps of MP and Lochte among the guys who are between 16… Read more »

Person
Reply to  Personv4.20
7 years ago

Nice name.

About Retta Race

Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having just earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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