2018 KONAMI OPEN
- Saturday, February 17th & Sunday, February 18th
- Tatsumi International Swimming Center
- Prelims at 9am local (7pm previous night EST)/Finals at 6pm local (4am EST)
- LCM
- Meet Site
- SwimSwam Meet Preview
- Start Lists/Results
Just weeks after establishing a new Japanese national record in the men’s 50m freestyle (21.87), Katsumi Nakamura lowered his own national mark in the men’s 100m freestyle.
The 23-year-old made history in Rio at the 2016 Olympic Games by becoming the first Japanese man ever to clock a 100m freestyle time under the 48-second threshold when he notched 47.99. Tonight, however, the red-hot sprinter took things to a new level, breaking into 47.8 territory with his winning time of 47.87.
Exploding off the blocks with an opening 50m of 23.30, Nakamura closed in 24.57 to establish a new meet record and Japanese national mark of 47.87. Compare that to his splits of Rio, that included 23.15/24.84 to make that historic 47.99 outing.
Nakamura’s time of 47.87 from tonight now positions the Olympian as #1 in the world, ahead of Chinese sprinter Ning Zetao, his primary international rival for this year’s Asian Games. Plus, clocking a sub-48 time at this point in the season is momentum to put Nakamura in the conversation for the podium come the Pan Pacific Games in August.
2017-2018 LCM MEN 100 FREE
Morozov
47.75
| 2 | Katsumi NAKAMURA | JPN | 47.87 | 02/18 |
| 3 | Alessandro MIRESSI | ITA | 47.92 | 08/12 |
| 3 | Zetao NING | CHN | 47.92 | 09/01 |
| 5 | Pedro Henrique SILVA SPAJARI | BRA | 47.95 | 04/19 |
SwimSwam’s @rettarace tweeted yesterday how it is a rare sight when 4 out of the 5 top 50m freestylers in the world hail from Asia, but it is also extremely rare for the world’s #1 100m freestyler to call Japan home.
Is no one going to mention how crazy a 24.5 backhalf is?? Only people I know that come back that fast are chalmers and Phelps.
McEvoy came back in 24.50 for his textile record. Magnussen in 24.42 for his 47.1.
Does Ohashi swim any events besides the IMs? She has a beautiful backstroke. I bet she could put together a pretty sweet 200.
Let’s see him do this or even come close to it in a meet outside of Japan. They’ve always had a tradition of going much slower at the respective international meet for that year.
For 2018? Everyone has gone slower in a Pan Pac year.
did you even read the article? he went 47.99 at Rio, so obviously he can swim fast outside of Japan.
I am sick of people hating on swims done by non Americans. Everytime an international swimmer puts up a fast time in their country the haters come out of the woodworks, whereas you rarely see the same negativity and skepticism about American swims. Can’t a good time simply be a good time, and we can all appreciate that?
SVIRD protests too much. He knows it’s true. All the GOATs are from USA. The world can’t compete with us.
Not too nice to say others can’t compete with USA in international competitions. I admit USA is a swimming powerhouse and has one of the best training in the world so USA swimmers have an edge. USA did not perform exceptionally well in Rio Olympics. Most golds came from relay. Only Phelps, Ervin and Murphy obtained individual gold for men.
U right the US swam like trash at rio. They only set a record for medals won during the swim competition. But yea let’s focus on the only slightly negative aspect of the games, that the men’s team ONLY got 5/13 individual gold medals possible. What a lackluster performance.
Sarah Sjostrom might have something to say about that.