2021 JAPAN SWIM (OLYMPIC TRIALS)
- Saturday, April 3rd – Saturday, April 10th
- Tokyo Olympic Aquatics Centre
- LCM (50m)
- Japan’s Sole Olympic-Qualifying Opportunity
- JASF Olympic Selection Policy
- Entries
- SwimSwam Preview
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap
- Live Results
- Live Stream (Prelims Only)
20-year-old Rikako Ikee clocked a season-best 100 freestyle time of 54.30, ranking herself #23 in the world this season during the prelims session of day 5 of the Japan Swim Olympic Trials
There was also an incredibly tight race in the women’s 200 breaststroke where 1st through 4th place were separated by .07. This was immediately following the 200 backstroke, an event that Olympic medalist Ryosuke Irie made a not-so-close race for 1st place.
To end the prelims session, World Championships gold medalist Daiya Seto beat National Record-holder Kosuke Hagino in the 200 IM with a season-best time of 1:59.14.
Women’s 100 Freestyle
Top 3 Qualifiers:
- Rikako Ikee – 54.30
- Chihiro Igarashi – 55.24
- Natsumi Sakai – 55.27
The 100 free was a phenomenal race for National Record-holder Rikako Ikee. She won the prelims race with a season-best time of 54.30, ranking her #23 in the world this year. Her National Record still stands at 52.79 from 2018, before her 10-month-long battle with leukemia in 2019.
Natsumi Sakai took out the first-half in 26.57, just .10 behind Ikee and .20 ahead of Chihiro Igarashi. Ikee then took charge, finishing with a lead of nearly one second. Igarashi made up that .20 on the last 50 meters, ultimately out touching Sakai by .03.
2020-2021 LCM Women 100 Free
McKeon
51.96
| 2 | Siobhan Haughey | HKG | 52.27 | 07/30 |
| 3 | Cate Campbell | AUS | 52.43 | 04/15 |
| 4 | Penny Oleksiak | CAN | 52.59 | 07/30 |
| 5 | Sarah Sjostrom | SWE | 52.62 | 07/25 |
| 6 | Anna Hopkin | GBR | 52.75 | 07/28 |
| 7 | Madi Wilson | AUS | 52.76 | 06/16 |
| 8 | Femke Heemskerk | NED | 52.79 | 07/30 |
| 9 | Zhang Yufei | CHN | 52.90 | 09/27 |
| 10 | Meg Harris | AUS | 52.92 | 06/16 |
| 11 | Pernille Blume | DEN | 52.96 | 07/28 |
| 12 | Abbey Weitzeil | USA | 52.99 | 07/28 |
| 13 | Bronte Campbell | AUS | 53.01 | 07/25 |
| 14 | Yang Junxuan | CHN | 53.02 | 07/28 |
| 15 | Mollie O'Callaghan | AUS | 53.08 | 07/24 |
| 16 | Marie Wattel | FRA | 53.12 | 07/29 |
| 16 | Kayla Sanchez | CAN | 53.12 | 07/28 |
| 18 | Ranomi Kromowidjojo | NED | 53.13 | 04/10 |
| 19 | Simone Manuel | USA | 53.34 | 11/21 |
| 20 | Freya Anderson | GBR | 53.40 | 04/17 |
| 20 | Beryl Gastaldello | FRA | 53.40 | 12/10 |
| 22 | Torri Huske | USA | 53.46 | 04/09 |
| 23 | Erika Brown | USA | 53.51 | 07/28 |
| 24 | Michelle Coleman | SWE | 53.53 | 07/28 |
| 25 | Signe Bro | DEN | 53.54 | 07/28 |
Men’s 200 Backstroke
Top 3 Qualifiers:
- Ryosuke Irie – 1:58.41
- Kaito Yamada – 1:59.33
- Kodai Nishiono – 1:59.71
National Record-holder Ryosuke Irie held a commanding lead throughout the race. Irie’s season-best time, 1:55.55, is from the 2020 Japan Swim and ranked him as the 2nd fastest 200 backstroker in the world this season. His National Record is 1:52.51 from 2009 World Champs. Kosuke Hagino is ranked 3rd on that list but DNS’d the race this morning, potentially to focus on his 200 IM.
Kaito Yamada took the 2nd spot going into the semifinals with a time of 1:59.33 with Kodai Nishiono close behind in 3rd place. Keita Sunama, #6 in the world this year, finished in 9th with a time of 2:00.08.
2020-2021 LCM Men 200 Back
Rylov
1:53.23
| 2 | Ryan Murphy | USA | 1:54.15 | 07/30 |
| 3 | Mitch Larkin | AUS | 1:54.38 | 04/16 |
| 4 | Luke Greenbank | GBR | 1:54.43 | 05/22 |
| 5 | Bryce Mefford | USA | 1:54.79 | 06/18 |
| 6 | Xu Jiayu | CHN | 1:55.26 | 09/27 |
Women’s 200 Breaststroke
Top 3 Qualifiers:
- Satomi Suzuki – 2:26.51
- Kanako Watanabe – 2:26.54
- Nana Sogabe – 2:26.55
This race was incredibly close, with .04 separating 1st through 3rd place even though they were separated by a full second after the 1st 50 meters. Satomi Suzuki claimed 1st with a time of 2:26.51, but it was 2nd place finisher Kanako Watanabe who was in 1st at the 50 meter mark. Watanabe took out the first 50 in 32.99 compared to Suzuki’s 33.09. Nana Sogabe took 3rd place with a time of 2:26.55. Watanabe’ s season-best time of 2:23.15 from the 2020 Japan Swim ranks her #7 in the world this year.
Japan holds 6 of the top-25 spots on the list of fastest 200 breaststrokers this season, and they all raced this morning. Asaba Shiori, #15 in the world this season, finished 4th with a time of 2:26.58, just .03 after Sogabe. Sakiko Shimizu, #16, finished 5th (2:26.77). Haruna Ogata, #24, finished 6th with a time of 2:26. 80. Yukino Miyasaka, #19, placed 7th (2:26.91), and Reona Aoki, #14, finished 8th (2:27.50).
2020-2021 LCM Women 200 Breast
Schoenmaker
2:18.95
| 2 | Lilly King | USA | 2:19.92 | 07/30 |
| 3 | Evgeniia Chikunova | RUS | 2:20.57 | 07/29 |
| 4 | Annie Lazor | USA | 2:20.84 | 07/30 |
| 5 | Molly Renshaw | GBR | 2:20.89 | 04/15 |
| 6 | Abbie Wood | GBR | 2:21.69 | 04/15 |
| 7 | Yulia Efimova | RUS | 2:21.86 | 06/06 |
| 8 | Lisa Mamie | SUI | 2:22.05 | 05/21 |
| 9 | Kaylene Corbett | RSA | 2:22.06 | 07/30 |
| 10 | Emily Escobedo | USA | 2:22.64 | 06/18 |
| 11 | Maria Temnikova | RUS | 2:22.76 | 04/08 |
| 12 | Bethany Galat | USA | 2:22.81 | 06/18 |
| 13 | Kanako Watanabe | JPN | 2:23.04 | 04/08 |
| 14 | Francesca Fangio | ITA | 2:23.06 | 06/27 |
| 15 | Jenna Strauch | AUS | 2:23.12 | 06/16 |
| 16 | Yu Jingyao | CHN | 2:23.17 | 07/28 |
| 17 | Jessica Vall | ESP | 2:23.25 | 03/28 |
| 18 | Fanny Lecluyse | BEL | 2:23.30 | 06/27 |
| 19 | Kelsey Wog | CAN | 2:23.40 | 06/22 |
| 20 | Abbey Harkin | AUS | 2:23.59 | 06/16 |
| 21 | Sophie Hansson | SWE | 2:23.82 | 07/28 |
| 22 | Daria Chikunova | RUS | 2:23.88 | 10/03 |
| 23 | Martina Carraro | ITA | 2:24.24 | 06/27 |
| 24 | Marina Garcia | ESP | 2:24.25 | 05/20 |
Men’s 200 Individual Medley
Top 3 Qualifiers:
- Daiya Seto – 1:59.14
- Kosuke Hagino – 1:59.60
- Takumi Uchiyama – 2:00.18
Daiya Seto took off on that last 50, finishing with nearly a half-a-second lead and a new season-best time of 1:59.14, ranking himself #17 in the world this season. Notably, Seto is pre-qualified for the Olympics in this event after he won gold at the 2019 World Championships
2016 Olympic silver medalist Kosuke Hagino actually passed Seto on the breaststroke leg, turning into the freestyle leg at 1:29.36 compared to Seto at 1:29.45. Hagino set the current Japanese National Record at 1:55.07 during the 2016 Japanese Champs. Takumi Uchiyama claimed the 3rd semifinals spot half-a-second behind Hagino with a time of 2:00.18
2020-2021 LCM Men 200 IM
Shun
1:55.00
| 2 | Michael Andrew | USA | 1:55.26 | 06/17 |
| 3 | Duncan Scott | GBR | 1:55.28 | 07/30 |
| 4 | Jeremy Desplanches | SUI | 1:56.17 | 05/19 |
| 5 | Daiya Seto | JPN | 1:56.22 | 07/30 |
| 6 | Mitch Larkin | AUS | 1:56.29 | 06/16 |
| 7 | Hugo Gonzalez | ESP | 1:56.31 | 06/06 |
| 8 | Phillip Heintz | GER | 1:56.42 | 12/30 |
| 9 | Chase Kalisz | USA | 1:56.97 | 06/18 |
| 10 | Hubert Kos | HUN | 1:56.99 | 05/19 |
| 11 | Alberto Razzetti | ITA | 1:57.13 | 04/03 |
| 12 | Carson Foster | USA | 1:57.20 | 07/25 |
| 13 | Kieran Smith | USA | 1:57.23 | 06/18 |
| 14 | Lewis Clareburt | NZL | 1:57.27 | 04/09 |
| 15 | Kosuke Hagino | JPN | 1:57.39 | 07/28 |
| 16 | Andrey Zhilkin | RUS | 1:57.50 | 04/08 |
| 17 | Laszlo Cseh | HUN | 1:57.51 | 05/20 |
| 18 | Matt Sates | RSA | 1:57.60 | 05/28 |
| 19 | Tomoe Hvas | NOR | 1:57.64 | 07/28 |
| 20 | Joe Litchfield | GBR | 1:57.74 | 04/14 |
| 21 | Keita Sunama | JPN | 1:57.81 | 06/05 |
| 22 | Trenton Julian | USA | 1:57.86 | 08/07 |
Actually Ikee’s PB and Japan record for the 100m free is 52.79
Ikee is about to be the first woman to go sub 50 in the 100 free only to not make the individual because the Japanese swimming federation set the requirement as a 47