Japan’s Mizunuma Hits Lifetime Best 100 Fly In Niigata – 51.26

2020 Niigata Swimming Club Summer Challenge

• Sunday, August 16th
• Daiei Probis Phoenix Pool, Niigata, Japan
• LCM (50m)
• Results (in Japanese)

As Japanese swimmers are competing at their respective prefectural championships, 23-year-old Naoki Mizunuma is making the most of the opportunity to race.

While competing in the men’s 100m fly at Daiei Probis Phoenix Pool over the weekend, the Niigata Medical University student-athlete ripped the fastest time of his career en route to topping the podium. Touching the wall in a big-time 51.26 Mizunuma shaved .17 off of his previous career-quickest of 51.43 logged at the 2019 Japan Swim.

Splitting 23.64/27.18, Mizunuma’s time of 51.26 now registers as Japan’s 4th fastest performance ever, while the swimmer remains the nation’s 4th fastest performer all-time in the men’s LCM 100m fly.

Japanese Men’s Top 5 100m Fly Performances:

1. 51.00 Kouhei Kawamoto 2009
2. 51.11 Shinnosuke Ishikawa 2019
3. 51.24 Takuro Fujii 2009
4. 51.26 Naoki Mizunuma 2020
5. 51.32 Takuro Fujii 2009

For additional perspective, Mizunuma’s time here in Niigata would have rendered him the 4th place finisher at the 2019 FINA World Championships, tying 200m fly world record holder Kristof Milak of Hungary.

Mizunuma did compete in this sprint in Gwangju and produced a solid 51.71 to fall just .01 of making the final 8 in the event. He also competed in the 50m fly, registering a time of 23.74 to finish 21st. At this prefectural meet, the man was .10 faster than that, taking 50m gold in 23.64.

Of note, finishing behind Mizunuma was Yuya Tanaka, who logged a nice result of 52.08 for silver. Tanaka opened in a slightly quicker 23.99, but fell to 28.09 on the back half to surrender to Mizunuma. Regardless, the 52.08 represents a new personal best for the man who just turned 22 last week.

Tanaka competed in this men’s 100m fly event at the 2019 World University Games (Summer Universiade), placing 5th with a final time of 52.32. He snagged silver there in Naples, Italy in the 50m fly in 23.35.