2018 Japan Swim: Koseki Holds Off Watanabe, 10 Men W/ 52-pt 100 Fly

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/Day 2 Finals
• Day 3 Prelims/ Day 3 Finals
• Day 4 Prelims/ Day 4 Finals

On the penultimate night of the 2018 Japan Swim, 1 of 2 qualifying meets for the Pan Pacific Championships, 17-year-old Rikako Ikee blasted a new national record in the women’s 100m freestyle. Competing in the semi-finals of the event, Ikee touched in 53.46, lowering her own previous standard of 53.68 set back in 2016.

Ikee has already won the 100m fly and 50m freestyle here in Tokyo and looks primed to win the 100m free final based on her semi performance clearing the field by almost a body length. You can read more about her historic swim here.

Finals-wise, Yasuhiro Koseki made his return to competition from a team suspension complete, with a clean sweep of the men’s breaststroke events. Already nabbing the 50m breast in a new national record-setting time, as well as taking the 100m event, Koseki topped reigning world record holder Ippei Watanabe to win the 200m tonight.

Splitting the only sub-1:02 opening 100m of the field in 1:01.89, Koseki closed in 1:06.56 to take the 200m in a very solid 2:08.45, a mark just outside his list of personal bests. Watanabe was right behind, clocking 2:08.86, while Kazuki Kohinata rounded out the top 3 in 2:09.29. The top 3 finishers all easily clear the Japanese swimming federation-mandated QT of 2:10.13 for the Pan Pacs, with Koseki sneaking into the world’s top 5 this season.

The other men’s final tonight saw Japanese backstroking legend Ryosuke Irie double up on his 100m gold with a victory in the 200m distance. Earning a time of 1:55.92, 28-year-old Irie was the only swimmer to notch a mark under 1:56 and check-in as the 4th fastest swimmer of the season.

Keita Sundma finished in 1:56.72 for 100m back silver, while Olympian Masaki Kaneko took bronze in 1:58.50. Irie and Sundma cleared the 1:57.00 QT for Pan Pacs.

The women’s final tonight consisted of the 200m butterfly with Sachi Mochida stealing the victory of Suzuka Hasegawa Mochida charged to the wall first in 2:08.61, while Hasegawa touched just .21 behind in 2:08.82. Hiroko Makino clocked in 2:09.02 for 3rd. For Mochida, her victory marks her fastest this season, while Hasegawa holds a season-best of 2:07.79 from the National Games last fall.

Contesting the men’s 100m fly semi-final were an incredible 10 individual swimmers who earned 52-point times. Leading the tightly packed group is Yuki Kobori, who claimed the top seed in 52.11, followed by a young gun Nao Horomura in 52.22. Horomura already proved his worth in spades by taking the 200m fly over reigning national champion Daiya Seto.

The top 10 swimmers all fell within .7 of one another speaking to the depth of Japan’s elite athletes in this event.

Other Semi-Final Action:

• National record holder Katsumi Nakamura holds the top seeded 100m freestyle in 48.25, within half a second of his NR and lifetime bet of 47.87 notched in February of this year. Former national record holder and top domestic nemesis, Shinri Shioura is primed to challenge with a 2nd seeded 49.00.
• Sayaka Akase is the women’s top seed headed into tomorrow night’s 200m backstroke final, holding a time of 2:09.87.
• Olympian Kanako Watanabe set herself up nicely for tomorrow night’s 200m breaststroke final, clocking 2:25.60 for the top seed. Kako Ishida, Satomi Suzuki, Reona Aoki and Runa Imai are also in the hunt.