While competing on day 1 of the 2016 Konami Open, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Kosuke Hagino and World Junior Record Holder Rikako Ikee threw down some phenomenal swims to put the competition on notice less two months from Japan’s Olympic Trials.
Hagino exerted his absolute dominance over 400 IM event today in Tokyo clocking the world’s first sub-4:10 mark of 2016. Hagino roared to the wall in a time of 4:09.06, a time just .12 of a second off of the 4:08.94 mark he blasted to win the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Last year, Hagino’s best time was even faster, at 4:08.54, so, again, the fact that this freakishly-fast fish is throwing down times in this range just in February is a testament to how much of a medal threat he will be over multiple events in Rio.
Scoring a new World Junior Record today, however, was 15-year-old freestyling phenom Rikako Ikee. Following up on her 100 freestyle national record from last month at the Kitajima Cup (53.99), Ikee threw down her nation’s fastest-ever 50m freestyle time, stopping the clock at an impressive 24.74. Again, at just 15 years old, Ikee now ranks as the 8th-fastest in the world.
NOTE: the video shows the finals in their entirety. Ikee’s race begins roughly at timestamp 58:30 while Hagino’s race begins at roughly timestamp 1:17.57.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3483&v=yhh4-Dt9KsE
Incredible! And of course I am referring to the walk-out music for the 400IM, starts at 1:15:39