45th JAPAN JUNIOR OLYMPIC CUP (JOC) SPRING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- March 27th – March 30th
- Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center
- SCM (25m)
- Results
The final competition to be held at the storied Tatsumi International Swimming Center came to a close, as the 45th Japan Junior Olympic Cup (JOC) Spring Championships concluded last night.
As we reported, the facility which was opened in 1993 is set to undergo renovations to convert to an ice rink now that the Tokyo Aquatics Center, used for the 2020 Olympic Games, serves as the primary national aquatics venue.
Over the course of the four-day JOC competition, a total of 32 new records were established across all age divisions, giving promise to the future of swimming within the nation. 6 records fell at the hands of elementary school swimmers, 2 in the junior high school division, 3 at the high school age and 21 overall tournament records bit the dust.
Itoman repeated as the overall championship club winner followed by Fujimura SS and Tokyo SC. Yusuke Sato was named overall ‘best swimmer’ of the tournament on the boys’ side while Masataka Nagano earned the honor for the girls.
World Junior champion Mio Narita was among the star athletes, with the 16-year-old producing a new meet record on the final day. En route to topping the girls’ 200m IM podium, Narita posted a result of 2:08.28. That’s within a second of her lifetime best of 2:07.25 clocked at the Japan Short Course Championships last October.
Sato topped the boys’ 100m backstroke in a result of 51.49, a new meet record. That now ranks the teen as Japan’s 11th fastest performer in history. Sato also won the high school boys’ 100m back in 51.49, a new meet record.
Additional Notes
- The boys’ 400m freestyle for 13-14-year-olds saw Akira Ando produce a new meet record of 3:49.97.
- Kazushi Imafuku notched a new Japanese Junior High School Record of 14:54.00 en route to grabbing gold in the boys’ 1500m free.
- Satoshi Aida raced his way to a new Japanese Junior High School Record of 22.42 as he won the boys’ 50m freestyle for 15-16-year-olds.
- The girls’ 50m breast saw Yuumi Kobatake snag gold in a new Japanese High School Record of 30.64.
- Short Course World Championships swimmer Yumeno Kusuda punched a new meet record of 2:19.38 as she topped the girls’ 200m breaststroke podium.
- The boys’ 13-14-year-old 50m free saw Iku Matsuyama score a new championship record of 22.81.
- Yo Ando logged a time of 51.49 to win the boys’ 13-14-year-old 100m free, establishing a new meet record with his victory.