2022 JAPANESE SELECTION MEET
- Wednesday, March 2nd – Saturday, March 5th
- Tatsumi International Swimming Centre, Tokyo, Japan
- LCM (50m)
- Selection Meet for 2022 Budapest World Championships, 2022 Asian Games, World University Games
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap
- Results
While competing on the final day of action at this 2022 Japanese Selection Meet, Naoki Mizunuma became the first-ever man from the nation to dip under the 51-second barrier in the 100m butterfly.
Here in Tokyo, 25-year-old ripped a big-time 50.86 to take gold, break the barrier and establish a new Japanese national record. His 50.86 swim was comprised of splits of 23.95/26.91 to wreck his previous PB of 51.03 he logged in April of last year.
Mizunuma just sneaked into the final, taking up the 7th seed with a morning effort of 52.33 before he swam lights out.
The Tokyo Frog King’s effort here slashed .14 off of the previous Japanese standard of 51.00 Kohei Kawamoto first put on the books in 2009 before Takeshi Kawamoto matched it last year.
Worldwide, Mizunuma now ranks as the 20th fastest man in history in this event while he inserts himself onto the all-time Asian performers at #2. Only Singapore’s Olympic champion Joseph Schooling has been faster, owning the continental record at 50.39.
Of note, the silver medalist in tonight’s 100m fly, Katsuhiro Matsumoto was just over the previous record himself, hitting 51.18 as runner-up. That result obliterates the 2019 World Championships 200 free silver medalist’s previous PB of 51.47, now making Matsumoto Japan’s 6th fastest man in history.
Additional Notes for Day 4:
- The men’s 50m free saw one swimmer get under 22 seconds in the form of Shinri Shioura‘s 21.91.
- Ryosuke Irie made it a clean sweep of the men’s backstroke events, clocking 1:56.99 to top the 200m back podium tonight.
- Rikako Ikee was the fastest women’s 100m flyer, logging a result of 57.89. That marks her 2nd fastest time since turning to competition post-leukemia, with her comeback PB sitting at 57.77 from last April at Trials.
Congrats! Weird thing about WRs: they seem to be listed in the order freestyle, then alphabetically, then IM and finally relays.
my guy crushing it
Crazy how in a nation so rich in 200 fly talent, a sub 51 100 fly hasn’t been seen until now. Great to see
its similar with the 200 breaststroke. As an event, both are extremely highly technical. i think japanese swimmers excel more in the 200 versions of the stroke than the 100 because we are not physically built for the 100. The 100 involves more explosiveness and overall power, whereas in the 200 we can, to an extent make up for the lack of power with technique.
You often see something similar in elite track and field. The finals in the 100, 200 and 400m are often filled with people of african descent. Thats mostly due to the physical advantages they have over other ethnicities. However, in the longer distances from the 800 all the way to the marathon, are full of… Read more »
TB to 2004, when moroccan legend Hicham El Guerrouj won the 1500m and 5000m beating Kenyans and Ethiopians.
24 years later and his WR is still untouchable. #3:26 #1500m #GOAT
Morocco is in north africa and the four others behind are most likely also from north africa so proves my point