2018 JAPAN SWIM (JAPANESE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS)
- Tuesday, April 3rd – Sunday, April 8th
- Tatsumi International Swim Centre, Tokyo, Japan
- LCM
- Selection meet for Asian Games, Pan Pacific Championships, Jr. Pan Pacific Championships & Youth Olympics
- Meet Site
- SwimSwam Preview
- Start Lists
- Live Results
- Day 1 Prelims
- Day 1 Finals
- Day 2 Prelims
Watch 17-year-old Rikako Ikee swim to a new national record in the 100m butterfly clocking 56.38 for gold in Tokyo at the 2018 Japan Swim.
Video courtesy of Hiro (YouTube).
As originally reported:
17-year-old Rikako Ikee was able to lower her own newly-minted 100m butterfly national record from last night’s semi-finals with a 56.38 stunner tonight in Tokyo. After establishing herself as the #1 swimmer in the world this season with her new NR of 56.58 in yesterday’s session, the teen managed to drop .2 off of that performance to check-in with a new personal best and world-leading effort of 56.38.
Splitting 26.12/30.26, Ikee found some extra speed on the front end, out doing her 26.44 opening split from last night. Prior to this Japan Swim competition, Ikee’s previous personal best, and old NR stood at the 56.86 she registered in Rio back in 2016.
With her 56.58 performance, Ikee now jumps ahead of Canadian teen and 100m freestyle Olympic champion Penny Oleksiak in the list of all-time performers in the 100m fly event. Oleksiak captured silver in Rio with a mighty 56.46, but Ikee just outdid that mark in 56.38 to position her as the 7th fastest performer in history.
There is a highly anticipated battle brewing between Ikee and Oleksiak, which may indeed come to a head at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in front of Ikee’s home crowd.
After her prelim and semi, she needed to fix her “wall touch timing”. It seems she managed to do so for her final race.
Her technique makes me think about Kalisz swimming butterfly … excellent & efficient
Beautiful technique.