2023 Asian Games: Day 6 Finals Live Recap

19TH ASIAN GAMES

• Sunday, September 24th – Friday, September 29th (swimming)
• Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Aquatic Sports Arena, Hangzhou, China
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Entries
• Results
• Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Finals Live Recap
• Day 4 Finals Live Recap
• Day 5 Finals Live Recap

DAY 6 FINALS EVENT SCHEDULE

• Women’s 50 Butterfly – Final
• Men’s 50 Breaststroke – Final
• Women’s 800 Freestyle – Fast Heat
• Men’s 200 Backstroke – Final
• Men’s 400 Freestyle – Final
• Men’s 200 Butterfly – Final
• Women’s 4×100 Medley Relay – Final

The final day of the 2023 Asian Games is finally here. This final session of the meet will feature seven more events, including the women’s 800 free, which is a timed final event.

China’s Qin Haiyang popped a 26.25 in the men’s 50 breast prelims this morning, breaking the Asian Games Record in the event. That was a great morning swim for Qin, coming in just 0.05 seconds off his Asian Record of 26.20, which he swam at the World Championships about two months ago.

We’ll also get to see distance star Li Bingjie (China) in the women’s 800 free tonight. Li is the Asian Record holder in the event, having swim an 8:13.31 for the silver medal at the World Championships about two months ago.

WOMEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Record: 24.43 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2014)
• Asian Record: 25.05 – Zhang Yufei, China (2023)
• Asian Games Record: 25.55 – Rikako Ikee, Japan (2018)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Zhang Yufei (China) – 25.10 (ASIAN GAMES RECORD)
• SILVER: Yu Yiting (China) – 25.71
• BRONZE: Rikako Ikee (Japan) – 26.02

Zhang Yufei kicked off the final session of the meet with a phenomenal performance in the women’s 50 fly. Zhang clocked a 25.10, smashing the Asian Games Record of 25.55, which Rikako Ikee had set back at the 2018 Games. Zhang nearly broke her own Asian Record of 25.05 as well.

It was a 1-2 punch for China, as Yu Yiting clocked a 25.71 for silver tonight. That performance marks a new career best for Yu, clipping her previous mark of 25.86.

Japan’s Ikee, the now-former Asian Games Record holder in the event, earned the bronze medal tonight with a 26.02.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 25.95 – Adam Peaty, Great Britain (2017)
• Asian Record: 26.20 – Qin Haiyang, China (2023)
• Asian Games Record: 26.25 – Qin Haiyang, China (2023)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Qin Haiyang (China) – 26.35
• SILVER: Sun Jiajun (China) – 26.92
• BRONZE: Choi Dongyeol (South Korea) – 26.93

China’s Qin Haiyang rocketed to gold tonight in the men’s 50 breast, swimming a 26.35. It was a touch off the 26.25 Qin swam in prelims to set the Asian Games Record in the event, however, he still won the race tonight by over half a second. Qin has been on fire in this event all summer, having set the Asian Record at 26.20, a time which he posted at the World Championships in Fukuoka.

It was another huge event for China, as Sun Jiajun grabbed the silver medal with a speedy 26.92. Jiajun has also been on a roll in the event this year, as he clocked his career best of 26.61 at the Chinese National Championships back in May.

South Korea picked up their first medal of the night in Choi Dongyeol finishing 3rd with a 26.93.

WOMEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – TIMED FINAL

• World Record: 8:04.79 – Katie Ledecky, United States (2016)
• Asian Record: 8:13.31 – Li Bingjie, China (2023)
• Asian Games Record: 8:18.55 – Wang Jianjiahe, China (2018)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Li Bingjie (China) – 8:20.01
• SILVER: Waka Kobori (Japan) – 8:28.78
• BRONZE: Yang Peiqi (China) – 8:35.47

Li Bingjie was firmly in control of the women’s 800 free tonight, speeding to an 8:20.01 to win the race by nearly 9 seconds. It was a decent swim for Li, who has been as fast as 8:13.31, which she swam at the World Championships this summer to set the Asian Record.

Li swam a consistent race tonight, swimming a 4:08.90 on the first 400m, then came home in 4:11.11 on the back half of the race.

Japan’s Waka Kobori earned the silver medal tonight, swimming an 8:28.78.

China once again earned two medals for the third event in a row tonight, seeing Yang Peiqi take 3rd in 8:35.47.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 1:51.92 – Aaron Peirsol, United States (2009)
• Asian Record: 1:52.51 – Ryosuke Irie, Japan (2009)
• Asian Games Record: 1:53.26 – Ryosuke Irie (2014)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Xu Jiayu (China) – 1:55.37
• SILVER: Lee Juho (South Korea) – 1:56.54
• BRONZE: Hidekazu Takehara (Japan) – 1:57.63

China’s Xu Jiayu continues to have a terrific meet. After winning the men’s 50 back and 100 back, as well as dipping under 52 seconds in the 100 back on a relay, Xu clocked a 1:55.37 to win gold in the 200 back tonight. He was out in 55.02 but faded from that pace a bit, coming home in 1:00.35.

South Korea’s Lee Juho clocked a 1:56.54 for the silver medal. Not only did he earn another medal for his country, but Lee cracked the South Korean Record of 1:56.77 as well, which he set himself back at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Ryosuke Irie (Japan) earned the bronze medal with a 1:57.63.

MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 3:40.07 – Paul Biedermann, Germany (2009)
• Asian Record: 3:40.14 – Sun Yang, China (2012)
• Asian Games Record: 3:41.53 – Park Tae-Hwan, South Korea (2010)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Kim Woomin (South Korea) – 3:44.36
• SILVER: Pan Zhanle (China) – 3:48.81
• BRONZE: Nguyen Huy Hoang (Vietnam) – 3:49.16

Kim Woomin was in control of the men’s 400 free final tonight, speeding to a 3:44.36. While he was off the records in the event, it was still a strong performance for Kim. He was out fast, splitting 1:49.60 on the first 200m. It may have proven to be a little too fast, as he came home in 1:54.76 on the 2nd 200m.

China’s Pan Zhanle clocked a 3:48.81 for the silver medal tonight. Zhanle has been exceling most in the sprint events at this meet, so that performance is a very strong one for the now-sub-47 100 freestyler.

Vietnam also picked up a medal here, seeing Nguyen Huy Hoang take 3rd in 3:49.16.

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak, Hungary (2022)
• Asian Record: 1:52.53 – Daiya Seto, Japan (2020)
• Asian Games Record: 1:54.02 – Takeshi Matsuda, Japan (2010)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Tomoru Honda (Japan) – 1:53.15 (ASIAN GAMES RECORD)
• SILVER: Wang Kuan-Hung (Taipei) – 1:54.53
• BRONZE: Chen Juner (China) – 1:56.04

Japan’s Tomoru Honda pulled through tonight, winning the men’s 200 fly in a new Asian Games Record of 1:53.15. Honda took nearly a second off the previous record of 1:54.02, which had stood since 2010. The performance was a very strong one for Honda, putting him well within a second of the Asian Record of 1:52.53, which is held by his Japanese teammate, Daiya Seto.

Honda went out fast tonight, splitting 53.56 on the opening 100m. He backed it up, splitting 29.04 on the 3rd 50 of the race before coming home in 30.55.

Taipei picked up their first medal of the night, with Wang Kuan-Hung taking 2nd in 1:54.53. Wang was just off his own TAI Record of 1:54.44, which he swam at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

China’s Chen Juner clocked a 1:56.04 to claim the bronze medal tonight.

WOMEN’S 4×100 MEDLEY RELAY – FINAL

• World Record: 3:50.40 – United States (2019)
• Asian Record: 3:52.19 – China (2009)
• Asian Games Record: 3:54.73 – Japan (2018)

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Japan – 3:57.67
• SILVER: South Korea – 4:00.13
• BRONZE: Hong Kong – 4:01.72

Japan won the women’s 4×100 medley relay handily tonight, swimming a 3:57.67. They were the only squad to finish under 4:00, sending Japan off with a gold medal.

Miki Takahashi (1:00.80), Reona Aoki (1:06.21), Ai Soma (57.28), and Nagisa Ikemoto (53.38) teamed up to make it happen.

South Korea earned the silver medal tonight, fueled in large part by a strong back half with Kim Seoyeong on fly (57.41) and Hur Yeonkyung on free (53.62). Lee Eunji was 1:00.68 on backstroke and Ko Haru clocked a 1:08.42 on breaststroke.

Hong Kong earned the bronze medal with a 4:01.72. Unexpectedly, Siobhan Haughey, primarily a freestyler, posted a very quick 1:06.03 breaststroke split to help her relay to a medal.