2024 Japanese Olympic Trials: Day 8 Finals Live Recap

2024 JAPANESE OLYMPIC TRIALS

• Sunday, March 17th – Sunday, March 24th
• Tokyo Aquatics Center
• LCM (50m)
• Japan’s Olympic Selection Criteria
• Entries
• SwimSwam Entries Post
• Preview #1 / Preview #2
• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap| Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Recap| Day 3 Finals Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Recap| Day 4 Finals Recap
• Day 5 Prelims Recap|Day 5 Finals Recap
• Day 6 Prelims Recap|Day 6 Finals Recap
• Day 7 Prelims Recap|Day 7 Finals Recap
• Live Results
• Livestream

We made it to the final day of the 2024 Japanese Olympic Trials. This 8-day competition has had its highs and lows, ups and downs with tonight representing the last chance for athletes to add their names to the roster for Paris 2024.

Katsuhiro Matsumoto has a chance to include the 100m fly on his agenda, having already qualified in the 200m free.

Rikako Ikee will also be in the hunt for a 2nd event qualification. She’s racing the 50m free and has already earned a 3rd Olympic appearance in the 100m fly.

Double Olympic champion Yui Ohashi missed the 400m IM qualification earlier in the meet but will attempt to make it happen in the 200m IM this evening.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY — FINAL

• Japanese National Record — 50.81 – Naoki Mizunuma, 2022
• Asian Record — 50.39 – Joseph Schooling (SGP), 2016
• World Record — 49.45 – Caeleb Dressel (USA), 2021
• JASF QT — 51.43

GOLD – Katsuhiro Matsumoto, 50.96 *Olympic Qualification
SILVER – Naoki Mizunuma, 51.23 *Olympic Qualification
BRONZE – Genki Terakado, 51.33

As a testament to the depth of the Japanese men’s butterfly talent, the top 3 contenders all clocked times beneath the stiff Japanese Swimming Federation (JASF)-mandated qualification standard of 51.43.

Reigning Asian Games gold medalist Katsuhiro Matsumoto led the way, registering a winning result of 50.96. That ties his best-ever performance from when the 27-year-old dipped under the 51-second barrier for the first time at last year’s Japanese World Championships Trials.

Tonight Matsumoto split 24.01/26.95 to remain Japan’s #2 performer of all time.

National record holder Naoki Mizunuma was next to the wall, throwing down a time of 51.23 to also delve under the selection standard. Mizunuma was a hair quicker than Matsumoto on the front half (24.06) and held on to ensure he earned the 2nd slot.

Mizunuma owns the Japanese record at 50.81 from the semi-finals at the 2022 World Championships.

Genki Terakado, the winner of the 200m fly here for Olympic qualification, was relegated to 3rd in 51.33. Two more swimmers also nailed 51-point swims in Takeshi Kawamoto (51.59) and Tomoru Honda (51.70).

Matsumoto now ranks 2nd in the world this season, joining Australia’s Matt Temple and Switzerland’s Noe Ponti as the only sub-51-second performers.

WOMEN’S 200 IM — FINAL

• Japanese National Record — 2:07.91 – Yui Ohashi, 2017
• Asian Record — 2:07.57 – Ye Shiwen (CHN), 2012
• World Record — 2:06.12 – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2015
• JASF QT — 2:10.70

GOLD – Yui Ohashi, 2:09.17 *Olympic Qualification
SILVER – Shiho Matsumoto, 2:09.90 *Olympic Qualification
BRONZE – Mio Narita, 2:10.39

Akin to Daiya Seto making the Olympic team at the 11th hour via his 200m IM victory last night, double Olympic champion Yui Ohashi accomplished the same feat this evening.

After missing qualification in the 400m IM, 28-year-old Yui Ohashi tore a time of 2:09.17 to get the job done in this 200m IM.

Ohashi sat 3rd after the opening 50m fly but then surged ahead of the pack to ensure she touched first. Her time comfortably cleared the JASF QT of 2:10.70 en route to posting a new season-best. Entering this competition, Ohashi was positioned 11th in the world, courtesy of the 2:10.07 she registered at February’s Konami Open.

She owns the Japanese national record with the 2:07.91 logged at the 2017 World Championships.

Somewhat surprisingly, the silver medal went to Shiho Matsumoto ahead of 400m IM champion here Mio Narita.

Matsumoto stopped the clock at 2:09.90 to also earn an Olympic berth in this women’s 2IM.

She chose the right time to put up a lifetime best, with her sub-2:10 result overtaking her previous best-ever effort of 2:10.07 from earlier this year.

Matsumoto was the 3rd place finisher in the 100m fly earlier at these Trials, establishing a new Student Record of 57.31 to touch just .01 behind Rikako Ikee.

Narita settled for bronze in 2:10.39, although she’s been 2:10.11 this season.

Ohashi ranks 8th in the world on the season at the moment.

WOMEN’S 800 FREE — FINAL

• Japanese National Record — 8:23.68 – Sachiko Yamada, 2004
• Asian Record — 8:13.31 – Li Bingjie (CHN), 2023
• World Record — 8:04.79 – Katie Ledecky (USA), 2016
• JASF QT — 8:22.49

GOLD – Waka Kobori, 8:26.62
SILVER – Ichika Kajimoto, 8:26.96
BRONZE – Miyu Namba, 8:28.28

It was a tall order asking the women’s 800m freestylers to beat the longstanding national record in order to qualify for the Olympics in this women’s 800m free.

23-year-old Waka Kobori tried her best, getting to the wall in a time of 8:26.62. That missed the QT by just over 4 seconds; however, the time shaved .05 off of her previous PB of 8:26.67 notched nearly 3 years ago.

Right behind Kobori was Ichika Kajimoto who nailed a result of 8:26.96 for a big-time career-quickest effort. Entering this meet Kajimoto’s PB rested at the 8:29.24 from when she placed 6th in the event at this year’s World Championships.

Kajimoto now becomes Japan’s 5th-swiftest performer in history.

Miyu Namba bagged bronze in 8:28.28. She remains Japan’s #3 performer with a lifetime best of 8:26.61 from 2021.

Top 5 Japanese Women’s LCM 800 Freestyle Performers All-Time

1. Sachiko Yamada – 8:23.68, 2004
2. Ai Shibata – 8:23.76, 2007
3. Miyu Namba – 8:26.61, 2021
4. Waka Kobori – 8:26.62, 2024
5. Ichika Kajimoto – 8:26.96, 2024

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE — FINAL

• Japanese National Record — 24.21 – Rikako Ikee, 2018
• Asian Record — 23.97 – Liu Xiang (CHN), 2021
• World Record — 23.61 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2023
• JASF QT — 24.55

GOLD – Rikako Ikee, 24.88
SILVER – Yume Jinno, 25.25
BRONZE – Ai Soma, 25.30

The only sub-25 swim of tonight’s final was courtesy of national record holder Rikako Ikee.

23-year-old Ikee registered a time of 24.88 for the gold, although her outing fell short of the JASF selection standard of 24.55 needed for Paris in this event.

She already earned silver in the 100m fly earlier this week to insert her name onto the Paris 2024 roster for a 3rd Games appearance.

Although Ikee’s 100m fly time checked in as her fastest since returning to competition 5 years removed from her leukemia diagnosis, she’s been quicker in this 50m free in recent years.

Rikako Ikee‘s Recent Best 50 Freestyle Times

• 2020 – 25.62
• 2021 – 24.84
• 2022 – 24.78
• 2023 – 24.74

Silver went to Yume Jinno in 25.25 while Ai Soma checked in with 25.30 as the bronze medalist.

It’s possible that the JASF adds this 50m free to Ikee’s lineup since she’s already been qualified for Paris. The only swimmers thus far who have doubled up on events are Satomi Suzuki in the women’s 100m/200m breast and Matsumoto in the men’s 200m free/100m fly.

MEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE — FINAL

• Japanese National Record — 14:54.80 – Kohei Yamamoto, 2014
• Asian Record — 14:31.02 – Sun Yang (CHN), 2012
• World Record — 14:31.02 – Sun Yang, 2012
• JASF QT — 14:56.31

GOLD – Kazushi Imafuku, 15:04.36 *New Japanese High School Record
SILVER – Kenta Ozaki, 15:12.82
BRONZE – Takeda Wataru, 15:17.04

These Olympic Trials wrapped up with a bang as 16-year-old Kazushi Imafuku blasted a new Japanese High School Record en route to winning the men’s 1500m free.

Imafuku scored a time of 15:04.36 to defeat the field handily, with Kenta Ozaki touched next over 8 seconds behind in 15:12.82. Takeda Wataru rounded out the podium in 15:17.04.

Although teen Imafuku missed the JASF selection standard of 14:45.31, his time represents a monster personal best. Entering this Trials he held a PB of 15:13.33 so tonight’s effort hacked about 9 seconds off. The prior Japanese High School Record stood at 15:05.53.

At just 16 years of age, Imafuku ranks 23rd in the world on the season.

Imafuku has been rising to the top of the Japanese distance game for a while. At last year’s Spring JOC Cup, Imafuku notched a new Japanese Junior High School Record of 14:54.00 in the SCM 1500m freestyle.

In January of this year, Imafuku raced at the Australian Open Water Championships where he earned bronze in the men’s 10k race and silver in the 5k event.