McKeon and Watanabe Put Up Top Ranked Times in Sydney

Emma McKeon and Kanako Watanabe both put up top ranked times on the second night of the New South Wales Open Championships on Saturday.

After posting the world’s top time in the 50 butterfly yesterday McKeon returned to the pool today to do the same in the 100 butterfly. Brittany Elmslie led the race at the halfway point turning in a time of 27.03 followed by McKeon who split a 27.32.

McKeon took the race in a time of 57.76 just off her lifetime best of 57.66 which she posted at the Commonwealth Games this summer.

Both McKeon and Alicia Coutts passed Elmslie in the second 50 meters. Coutts picked up the silver in a time of 58.27 followed by Elmslie who finished third in a time of 58.38.

All three land themselves in the top five of the world rankings.

McKeon returned to the pool later in the evening to go head to head with Elmslie once again, this time in the 50 freestyle. McKeon took the event in a time of 24.83, a time which ranks fifth in the world. Elmslie finished three one-hundredths of a second behind recording a time of 24.86 which is just off her season’s best of 24.80. Rikako Ikee finished third in a time of 25.65.

37 year old Swede Therese Alshammar finished just behind Ikee hitting the wall in a time of 25.67.

Kanako Watanabe took the women’s 200 breaststroke in a time of 2:23.07, which is the fastest time in the world this year. Watanabe swum the first half of the race in a time of 1:09.17 and was challenged by Commonwealth gold medalist Taylor McKeown who split a 1:09.70.

The second half of the race belonged to Watanabe as McKeown faded eventually picking up the silver in a time of 2:25.17, which places her second in the world rankings. 14 year old Runa Imai finished third in a time of 2:25.94.

At the BHP Billiton Super Series Emily Seebohm showed that she may be primed to do some impressive things this season posting a fantastic early season time of 58.89 in the 100 backstroke. Tonight in Sydney she just missed her season’s best winning the event in a time of 58.90.

Madison Wilson finished second in a time of 59.76, which places her second in the world rankings. Hayley Baker finished in a distant third recording a 1:01.25.

Jessica Ashwood took the women’s 400 freestyle in a time of 4:05.30 just missing her lifetime best of 4:05.01, which she posted at this same event last year. Her time also her places her second in the world rankings behind Katie Ledecky who posted a 4:00.47 in Austin just over a month ago.

Ashwood took the race by out swimming both Lauren Boyle and Bronte Barratt in the final 100 meters. Ashwood trailed both women at the 300 meter mark, but went on to split a 1:00.24, winning the event by almost two seconds.

Boyle took the silver in a time of 4:07.13 followed by Barratt who collected the silver in a time of 4:08.13.

James Guy had another strong evening recording a 1:46.97 to win the men’s 200 freestyle. Guy was just three one-hundredths of a second off his season’s best of 1:46.94, which is currently the fastest time posted in the world this year.

The battle for second was a good one between Thomas Fraser-Holmes and David McKeon. Fraser-Holmes had a lead of eight one-hundredths of a second over McKeon at the 100 meter mark, then led by six one-hundredths of a second with 50 meters left in the race ultimately finishing second in a time of 1:47.54. McKeon finished third posting a 1:47.64.

Daniel Smtih finished fourth in a time of 1:47.69.

Fraser-Holmes, McKeon and Smith’s times rank number two, number three and number four in the world behind Guy.

Mitch Larkin dominated the men’s 200 backstroke winning the event by over four seconds. Larkin posted a 1:56.17 just off his season’s best of 1:56.05, which currently ranks second in the world. Ashley Delaney finished second in a time of 2:00.24 followed by Joshua Beaver who touched in a time of 2:00.27.

Takeshi Kawamoto posted the world’s third fastest 50 butterfly taking the event in a time of 23.70. He was followed by Kenta Ito who touched in a time of 24.07 and Nathaniel Romeo who finished in a time of 24.15.

Takatoshi Ikeshita and Ryo Takeishi battled for the gold in the 100 breaststroke. Ikeshita won the event in a time of 1:01.24 followed by Takeishi who posted a 1:01.26. Their times currently rank eighth and ninth in the world.

Yuta Oshikiri finished third in a time of 1:01.55.

Justin James won the men’s 200 IM in a time of 2:01.13. Travis Mahoney finished second in a time of 2:01.37 followed by Kenneth To who touched in a time of 2:02.08.

Jeremy Tidy (S10) took the men’s multi-class 100 backstroke in a time of 1:04.68 while Mary Fisher (S11) took the women’s event in a time of 1:22.83.

Full results can be found here.