SWIMMING AT THE 2018 ASIAN GAMES
- August 19th-24th, 2018
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Schedule & Results
We’re on to day 4 of the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, where swimmers are getting ready for another finals session. Tonight, the women will race in the 200 free, 200 fly, and 100 back. The men will compete in the 100 fly, 100 breast, 400 IM, and 400 free relay. We’ll also see the mixed 400 medley relay contested for the first time at an Asian Games.
There are several stars to keep an eye on tonight, including Asian Record holders Joseph Schooling (100 fly), Yasuhiro Koseki (100 breast), and Kosuke Hagino (400 IM). In addition to Olympic champions Schooling and Hagino in their respective events, we have another Olympic gold medalist, Dmitriy Balandin, defending his 100 breast title against Yan Zibei, who leads the way into the final after setting a Games Record in prelims. We also have an Olympic medalist in the mix on the women’s side wiith Fu Yuanhui in the 100 back.
MEN’S 100 FLY
- Asian Record: 50.39, Joseph Schooling (SGP), 2016
- Asian Games Record:
51.76, Joseph Schooling (SGP), 2014
- GOLD: Joseph Schooling, SGP, 51.04
- SILVER: Li Zhuhao, CHN, 51.46
- BRONZE: Yuki Kobori, JPN, 51.77
The 100 fly saw the first gold of the meet go to a country other than China or Japan. Singapore’s Joseph Schooling, the reigning Olympic champion,smashed his Games Record to win it in 51.04 as he led from start to finish. Schooling is now ranked #5 in the world this year. China’s Li Zhuhao (51.46) and Japan’s Yuki Kobori (51.77) rounded out the medals, while Singapore’s Zheng Quah (52.54) was 4th. Li cracks the world top 10 as he’s now ranked 9th this year.
WOMEN’S 200 FREE
- Asian Record: 1:54.85, Rikako Ikee (JPN), 2018
- Asian Games Record: 1:56.65, Zhu Qianwei (CHN), 2010
- GOLD: Li Bingjie, CHN, 1:56.74
- SILVER: Yang Junxuan, CHN, 1:57.48
- BRONZE: Chihiro Igarashi, JPN, 1:57.49
China’s Li Bingjie took off with the early lead and never let up to win the race in 1:56.74, missing the Games Record by less than a tenth. Teammate Yang Junxuan and Japan’s Chihiro Igarashi were stroke-for-stroke down the stretch, with Igarashi taking it out slightly faster but Yang leading narrowly by the half way mark. At the touch, Yang clipped Igarashi by a hundredth for silver, 1:57.48 to 1:57.49. Yang has been a bit faster this year with her season best 1:56.79 from Chinese Nationals. 400 IM champ Yui Ohashi of Japan was 4th in 2:00.29.
MEN’S 100 BREAST
- Asian Record: 58.78, Yasuhiro Koseki (JPN), 2018
- Asian Games Record:
59.91, Yan Zibei (CHN), 2018
- GOLD: Yasuhiro Koseki, JPN, 58.86
- SILVER: Yan Zibei, CHN, 59.31
- BRONZE: Dmitriy Balandin, KAZ, 59.39
Yasuhiro Koseki‘s lead was never in question as he popped off the blocks to a 27.33 lead at the 50. He brought home the gold for Japan in 58.86, shattering the Games Record by a second and narrowly missing his own Asian Record, which he set at the Mare Nostrum in Monaco. China’s Yan Zibei, who set the Games Record in prelims, battled with another former Games Record holder, Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Balandin (59.39), for silver. Yan topped Balandin on the back half, taking silver for China by hundredths in 59.31.
Japan’s Ippei Watanabe, the 200 breast World Record holder, was 4th in 1:00.15. Watanabe was 2nd at the 50, but faded through the back half as he narrowly held off China’s Qin Haiyang (1:00.24).
WOMEN’S 200 FLY
- Asian Record: 2:01.81, Liu Zige (CHN), 2009 – WR
- Asian Games Record: 2:05.79, Jiao Liuyang (CHN), 2010
- GOLD: Zhang Yufei, CHN, 2:06.61
- SILVER: Sachi Mochida, JPN, 2:08.72
- BRONZE: Suzaka Hasegawa, JPN, 2:08.80
China’s Zhang Yufei ran away with it, winning by 2 seconds and coming up just a tenth shy of her lifetime best in 2:06.61. That’s the fastest she’s been since 2015, when she swam a 2:06.51 at the World Championships. A 3-way battle for silver saw Japan’s Sachi Mochida (2:08.72), who led at the 100 mark, hold off teammate Suzaka Hasegawa (2:08.80) and Korea’s An Sehyeon (2:08.83) at the touch.
MEN’S 400 IM
- Asian Record: 4:06.05, Kosuke Hagino (JPN), 2016
- Asian Games Record: 4:07.75, Kosuke Hagino (JPN), 2014
- GOLD: Daiya Seto, JPN, 4:08.79
- SILVER: Kosuke Hagino, JPN, 4:10.25
- BRONZE: Wang Shun, CHN, 4:12.31
Japan’s Daiya Seto set the pace up front and continued to hold his lead throughout the race, winning in 4:08.79. Seto clipped his former season best from the Japan Open by a couple of tenths. With that, he beat teammate Kosuke Hagino, the reigning Olympic champion and 2014 champ in this event. Hagino gave the Japanese a 1-2 finish with his 4:10.25, while China’s Wang Shun, who topped Hagino in the 200 IM earlier in the meet, nabbed bronze in 4:12.31.
WOMEN’S 100 BACK
- Asian Record: 58.70, Aya Terakawa (JPN), 2013
- Asian Games Record: 58.94, Zhao Jing (CHN), 2010
- GOLD: Natsumi Sakai, JPN, 59.27
- SILVER: Anna Konishi, JPN, 59.67
- BRONZE: Chen Jie, CHN, 1:00.28
Japan’s Natsumi Sakai took a couple of tenths off her lifetime best, winning by nearly half a second in 59.27. That puts her just 2 hundredths shy of the world top 10, as she’s now tied for 11th. The Japanese went 1-2 here as Anna Konishi took silver in 59.67, just a few hundredths short of her lifetime best from the Japan Swim.
China’s Chen Jie took it out in 2nd, but couldn’t keep up the pace on the back half as she took bronze in 1:00.28. Chen was able to hold off teammate and Olympic bronze medalist Fu Yuanhui, who took 4th in 1:00.35. Fu has a season best of 59.27 from Chinese Nationals, which ties her for 11th in the world with Sakai.
MEN’S 400 FREE RELAY
- Asian Record: 3:12.54, Japan, 2018
- Asian Games Record:
3:13.47, China, 2014
- GOLD: JPN, 3:12.68
- SILVER: CHN, 3:13.29
- BRONZE: SGP, 3:17.22
Japan took the gold in a new Games Record, with Shinri Shioura turning in a 48.85 leadoff. Katsuhiro Matsumoto scorched a 47.65 on the 2nd leg, followed by Kastumi Nakamura (48.08) and Juran Mizohata (48.10) as they won in 3:12.54. China was also under the former Games Record, with Yu Hexin anchoring in a blistering 47.38 as the squad set a new Chinese Record. Singapore picked up another relay bronze, highlighted by Joseph Schooling‘s 48.27 on the 2nd leg.
MIXED 400 MEDLEY RELAY
- Asian Record:
3:40.98, Japan, 2018 - Asian Games Record:
3:48.89, Japan, 2018
- GOLD: CHN, 3:40.45
- SILVER: JPN, 3:41.21
- BRONZE: KOR, 3:49.27
It was close race for the win through the first 3 legs between Japan (3:41.27) and China (3:40.45), but the Chinese came out on top as they took down the Asian Record. Xu Jiayu hopped out to the early lead for China with his 52.30 back split ahead of Japan’s Ryosuke Irie (52.55), handing off to breaststroker Yan Zibei (58.45). Zhang Yufei rolled to a 56.61 fly split, but Japan took over the lead with Rikako Ikee‘s 55.68. Zhu Menghui was able to get the job done on the anchor, though, splitting a 53.09 to win it for China.
Having mixed feelings about the Mixed Relay result..
Why was Singapore disqualified in the mixed relays? The commentators didn’t make that clear.
The last changeover was outside the allowed -0.03
Dang, Japan is not messing around at these games.
Well, for Asian countries, winning gold at Asian Games comes only second in prestige to the Olympics.
Beg to differ. You are telling me that winning an Asian Games medal is more prestigious to a Japanese/Chinese/Singaporean athlete than a World Championship medal?? Sounds like we haven’t been following the same sport.
Well, Schooling got more money in winning Asian Games golds than he would if he won world championships.
Winning Asian Games golds give them more exposures in their respective country.
The level of competition is so much higher at the World Champs than at the Asian Games. To medal at the former requires a level of performance that in most cases surpasses the latter. Monetary incentives aside, individual athletes are well aware of this fact and I would find it impossible to believe that they would attach more prestige to the Asian Games. Clearly prestige isn’t purely about monetary reward (and this reward mostly applies just to Singaporean athletes) and recognition in one’s own country.
I wasn’t talking about prestige among the whole world.
Read again my original comment. I said “for Asian countries..”, I didnt even say “for the swimmers…”
Of course in general and for the swimmers World Championships has more prestige, but winning Asian Games gold give countries more prestige. That is why China, South Korea, Japan has been pouring resources for years to dominate Asian Games.
Another example, for Australia, they put more importance and prestige in winning Commonwealth Games than in winning Pan Pacs even though the level of competition at Pan Pacs is higher.
And this is very true. And even for the swimmers, while Worlds brings about greater personal satisfaction, Asian Games (or Commonwealth Games for the Australians) is what your country’s regular citizens, those who do not follow swimming the way we do, recognise their swimmers. You’re splashed on the front pages of newspapers if you win an Asian Games gold, people know you because they recognise the ‘brand’ name of the Asian Games.
In short, Asian Games & World Championships are equally important. Asian Games is held every 4 years so it is prestigious in a certain extent. To retain the title you won 4 years ago is sweet. Worlds is held every 2 years and it is a major competition to see where u stand in the world.
China
Xu Jiayu 52.30
Yan Zibei 58.45
Zhang Yufei 56.61
Zhu Menghui 53.09
Japan
Ryosuke Irie 52.55
Yasuhiro Koseki 58.95
Rikako Ikee 55.68
Tomomi Aoki 54.03
Chinese swimmer really overperform in the relay.
Well, if Japan strategy was to rest Ikee for the mixed medley, they fell flat on their face.
They threw away surefire w200 free gold and gave it to Bingjie and ended up losing mixed medley relay to China.
Now instead of winning 7-8 golds, Ikee may have to be happy with 6.
Zhu had incredible relay changeover, especially compared to Ikee-Aoki changeover.
ikee was 55.68 so pretty fast. koseki kind of “underwhelming” with 58.9 when he was 58.8 in the individual
Ikee was very fast as usual, and they still ended up second.
Ikee could have swum 200 free and got gold. That was clearly huge blunder by Japanese coaches.
Can you imagine if this happened to American swimmer? Let’s say Ledecky was not entered in 400 free to rest for 4×200 which would end up second to Australia.
Swim Swam would shut down.
yes, obviously. i was just saying if koseki would have performed on par with his individual swim or even just close and the relay exchange from 3rd to 4th leg wouldnt have been so slow they could have very well won.
and i’m sure japan would have prefered the relay win over ikee’s potential individual gold
That’s a lot of “IF” to win the relay. Even if Koseki was close to his individual, that would not have been enough. Aoki is as fast here as she was at Pan Pacs and China went faster than what Japan did in Tokyo.
Meanwhile, 200 free gold was as close as certainty for Ikee.
In the past two days, Ikee’s relays swims were never affected by swimming double in the same sessions with much less time between events.
At Pan Pacs, Ikee split 55.5 in the mixed medley relay after she won 200 free silver in 1:54 an hour before.
Japan really did throw away a surefire gold.
Men relay
48.85 / 47.65 / 48.08 / 48.10 JPN
49.24 / 48.29 / 48.38 / 47.38 CHN
49.64 / 48.27 / 49.64 / 49.67 SGP
49.61 / 49.36 / 49.61 / 49.34 KOR
49.85 / 50.24 / 49.18 / 49.75 TPE
It’s also great to see Indian swimmers in another final and national record. With continued rise in its economy, India can be a swimming power in 20 years or so.
India never matches any of the world powers in sports… Sorry
Cricket?
Even in Cricket do you think there performance can be matched with that of West Indies Or Australia at their prime….
And surely cricket is not a global sport…
You know nothing of cricket or it’s huge global fan base.
Even it is not a part of olympic or any other global sporting fiesta…
Their Hockey Team won 7 Olympic titles in a row, I know it was a while ago, but if that isn’t sporting dominance I don’t know what is.
Long long ago…. We are talking about present and future…
Should have specified that in the comment really though shouldn’t you.
Mr. Tendulkar would like to have a word with you
haha ignorance galore
What a disrespectful comment. Have you seen Million Dollar Arm?
2 decades for them to medal in Asia, 2 centuries for them to win in Asia, and 2 millennium for them to win globally, by then countries are already competing universally with aliens from outer space…maybe Bollywood will take over the world, but Hollywood have take over the universe…as first world countries citizens have already migrate to out er space…
Japan 3:12.68 Games Record
China silver 3:13.29
Singapore bronze 3:17.22
I think this is Singapore’s first 4×100 free medal at Asian Games
Any idea of the splits?
Japan
Shinri Shioura 48.85
Katsuhiro Matsumoto 47.65
Katsumi Nakamura 48.08
Joran Mizihata 48.10
China
Yang Jintong 49.24
Cap Jiwen 48.29
Sun Yang 48.38
Yu Hexin 47.38
Singapore
Quah 49.64
Schooling 48.27
Chua 49.64
Lim 49.67
I think it is the first time ever Hexin went sub-48 on a Split..
He went quite far below 48 too
Thanks. So only Schooling swims a sub 49 in Singapore team.
Funnily enough, his is the first and only sub 49s relay leg in Singapore history. Quah has been very close (49.04 flying start in 2017) and Joseph went a 49.25 opening leg in 2017 – those were originally the two fastest in history
Honestly expected the Singapore relay to be slightly faster, but one cannot complain with a medal won (which was all we wanted)