Omoto and Ikee Sail Through to 50 Free Semifinals at Japan Swim Day 7 Prelims

2021 JAPAN SWIM (OLYMPIC TRIALS)

Day seven prelims at the Japan Swim was just three events, with the men’s and women’s 50 free followed by the men’s 1500 free.

Rikako Ikee moved into the semifinals with ease in the 50 free, going 25.39 for second this morning. Ikee was sandwiched between Rika Omoto (25.33) and 2002-born Yume Jinno (25.41).

Ikee’s best time since her comeback from leukemia is a 24.91, done in February at the Japan Open. That time has her at #24 in the world this year, while Omoto was 24.75 at that meet. It’ll take a 24.46 to qualify for the Olympics in this event, which Ikee has been faster than pre-illness. She holds the national record at 24.21.

This event is her last chance to officially earn an individual berth at the Olympics, after she hit relay leg standards in the 100 fly (400 medley relay) and 100 free (400 free relay).

In the men’s 50 free, six swimmers were bunched up under 22.5, led by Shinri Shioura at 22.21. Kosuke Matsui was a hundredth behind at 22.22, ahead of Koshiro Sakai (22.28) and Akira Namba (22.31). Fifth was Masahiro Kawane at 22.39, while Katsumi Nakamura clocked a 22.42 for sixth.

National record-holder Shioura has a good deal to drop in semis and finals to qualify for Tokyo, as the cut needed is a 21.77, though his lifetime best is a tenth quicker than that (21.67). Nakamura, meanwhile, is coming off of a 100 free win and Olympic qualification with his 48.23 a couple of nights ago.

Ayatsugu Hirai posted the top time in the men’s 1500 free, touching the wall 1st at 15:07.30 and out-touching Shogo Takeda by 3 seconds. Takeda was ahead through the 1200 meter mark where he flipped half-a-second before Hirai. The two should have another close race in the finals on Saturday.

In This Story

5
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

5 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Swimmer2
2 years ago

Japan has to name her to the individuals right?

Hswimmer
Reply to  Swimmer2
2 years ago

They better

Prettykitten
Reply to  Swimmer2
2 years ago

I’m pretty sure if a swimmer doesn’t get the fina A they go into a pool of swimmers and it works kind of like the NCAA selection process if a country decides to try and send them.

Coach Mike 1952
Reply to  Prettykitten
2 years ago

Hoping so – any way to verify that?

Random123
Reply to  Prettykitten
2 years ago

??? this wouldn’t even be relevant, she has the A cuts.

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

Read More »