World Record Holder Ippei Watanabe Lowers Prenot’s 200 BR Meet Record

2018 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Thursday, August 9 – Tuesday, August 14, 2018
• Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center, Tokyo, Japan
• Meet site
• Psych Sheet
• Start Lists
• Meet Results

American Josh Prenot came in as the favorite in the men’s 200 breast final after lowering the meet record in the preliminaries and holding the #2 time in the world for the year. However, in the final, it was world record holder Ippei Watanabe who came through with the victory in a time of 2:07.75 to take out Prenot’s prelim record.

In the heats, Prenot had gone 2:08.02 to erase Japanese legend Kosuke Kitajima‘s 2010 record of 2:08.36 off the books. Watanabe was just 6th fastest among the A-finalists in the prelims in 2:12.15, so it wasn’t clear whether he was just cruising or wasn’t on his best form.

In the final he proved it to be the former, as he held 2nd to Australian Matthew Wilson through the 150 before closing in 32.80 to take over the lead and win the gold in 2:07.75.

Below, check out a split comparison of the two previous and the new meet record in the event:

Kitajima had the most front-end speed out of the three swims, while Prenot was quickest down the third length and Watanabe was fastest coming home.

Both Prenot (2:07.28) and Watanabe (2:07.56) had been faster this year, and Watanabe’s world record is over a second better than he was tonight in 2:06.67.

In the final, Prenot ended up missing the medals altogether, with Australians Zac Stubblety-Cook (2:07.89) and Wilson (2:08.22) winning silver and bronze. Japan’s Yasuhiro Koseki was 4th in 2:08.25, with Prenot back in 5th (2:08.44).