Honda Clocks 1:55.72 200 Fly Tune-Up, 17-Yr-Old Murasa Hits 1:46.59 JPN High School Record

10th SUMMER CHALLENGE MEET (JPN)

• Saturday, June 29th & Sunday, June 30th
• Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
• LCM (50m)
• Results

Several Japanese stars took on the 10th Summer Challenge Meet to sharpen and tune-up ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games beginning just about a month from now.

Tatsuya Murasa was one of the Paris-bound athletes racing today, with the 17-year-old firing off a new Japanese National High School Record in the men’s 200m free.

Murasa stopped the clock at a speedy 1:46.59 to score a new lifetime best en route to gold.

Splitting 51.57/55/02, Murasa’s outing represented the teen’s first-ever foray under the 1:47 barrier. Entering this competition, he held a PB of 1:47.49, a time he put up at just 16 years of age.

At this year’s Olympic Trials, Murasa was right near that mark, posting 1:47.57 to bag the men’s 200m free bronze and make his nation’s Olympic roster in the 4x200m free relay.

Tonight’s 1:46.59 career-quickest mark overtook the previous Japanese HS Record of 1:47.02 Keisuke Yoshida put on the books at the 2018 Kosuke Kitajima Cup. Murasa’s performance now ranks him as Japan’s 8th-swiftest 200m freestyler in history.

Reigning world champion and Olympic silver medalist Tomoru Honda was also in the pool, competing in his signature men’s 200m fly event.

Honda stopped the clock at 1:55.72 to take the win, putting up a solid performance ahead of the Games. 22-year-old Honda topped the Doha podium in a time of 1:53.88 and owns a lifetime best of 1:52.70 in this race.

Speaking to Asian media after today’s session, Honda said, “I felt good until the first 100 meters, but I died in the last 50 meters.

“There are many things I can fix. I want to continue doing what I can one by one.” (Jiji)

He’ll be contesting the 100m fly sprint tomorrow, of which he said, “Tomorrow I’d like to aim for the 54-second range, and if possible, the 53-second range.” (Sanspo)

Additional Winners

• Taku Taniguchi topped the men’s 50m breast and 100m breast podiums. He logged respective efforts of 27.51 and 1:00.88.
• Yu Hanaguruma posted a result of 2:00.10 as the men’s 200m IM winner.
• The women’s 100m free saw Waka Kobori beat the field in a time of 56.58.
• Shiho Matsumoto clocked a time of 2:12.26 in the women’s 200m IM while Ageha Tanigawa claimed silver in 2:16.44.
• Hiroko Makino made it happen for gold in the women’s 100m fly, putting up 58.66.
• 33-year-old Satomi Suzuki hit 2:25.30 to win the women’s 200m breast. She took this event at the Japanese Olympic Trials in a time of 2:23.09.