By Olivia Wile, Swimming World College Intern.
Today marked day two of the 2019 Japanese Swimming Championships. It was a relatively calm session with top seeds Yui Ohhashi and Hiroko Makino taking first in finals in their respective events. On the men’s side, top seed Yasuhiro Koseki also finished first in the men’s 100m breast.
Several swimmers were just off the Gwangju World Championship’s A cuts in semi-finals.
The complete lineup for today included the women’s 200m IM final, men’s 100m breaststroke final, women’s 100m butterfly final, the men’s and women’s 100m backstroke semi-finals as well as the men’s and women’s 200m freestyle semi-finals.
Women’s 200m IM Final
Today’s session kicked off with a Yui Ohhashi win in the women’s 200m IM. She touched first with a time of 2:09.27. This time qualifies her for the world games in Gwangju, but is well off her national record of 2:07.91.
Not far behind her and finishing second with a time of 2:09.91 was Rika Oomoto. Runa Imai touched third at a 2:10.61. Cruising to fourth was Miho Teramura with a time of 2:11.58.
Finishing fifth in the event was Sakiko Shimizu touching at a 2:13.30, Sao Yokota placed sixth (2:14.44).
Karin Isizaka and Miku Kozima finished out the heat finishing a close seventh (2:15.41) and eighth (2:15.49).
Men’s 100m Breaststroke Final
It was Yasuhiro Koseki who finished first in the final of the men’s 100m breast. He dropped about a tenth from his semi-finals time yesterday finishing at a 59.54. Ippei Watanabe finished a close second with a time of 59.58. Hayato Watanabe finished third (1:00.04).
Off his time from yesterday and finishing fourth at a 1:00.05 was Yuuya Hinomoto. Kazuki Kohinata touched fifth (1:00.19). Swimming the third fastest 50m split of the heat was Yoshiki Yamanaka, he finished sixth (1:00.75).
Placing seventh in the event with a time of 1:00.87 was Ryuya Miura. Kazuki Hayashi finished eighth (1:01.79).
Women’s 100m Butterfly Final
Top seed after yesterday’s semi-final Hiroko Makino got things done again today in the women’s 100m fly final. She dropped her time to a 58.39 to win the event. Pushing second was Suzuka Hasegawa finishing with a time of 58.55.
A close third and fourth went to Yukina Hirayama and Ai Souma. Hirayama finished third (58.75) with Souma taking fourth (58.77).
Staying in the 58 range and placing fifth with a time of 58.89 was Anna Shinno. Chicharu Iitsuka finished sixth (59.94).
In seventh with a time of 59.45 was Aya Satou. Sayane Ueno, who swam the third fastest 50m split finished eighth (59.62).
Men’s 100m Backstroke Semi-Final
Ryosuke Irie will be seeded first going into finals in the men’s 100m back, winning today’s semis with a time of 53.32. Finishing a second behind him with a time of 54.43 was Masaki Kaneko.
Taking third in the event was Yuuma Edo touching at a 54.70. Hayate Matsubara finished fourth (54.77). Placing fifth in the 54 range as well was Keita Sunama finishing with a time of 54.92.
Sixth, seventh and eighth went to Taishi Natsume, Akira Nakanishi and Syunya Nishimura. Natsum finished sixth (55.13), Nakanishi touched seventh (55.21) with Nishimura placing a close eighth (55.22).
Women’s 100m Breaststroke Semi-Final
Reona Aoki took first today in the semi-finals of the women’s 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:07.48. She finished just off the Gwangju SSA world A cut of 1:07.42.
Placing second with a time of 1:08.17 was Miho Ramura, third (1:08.26) went to Masaki Kiguchi with fourth (1:08.30) going to Mai Fukasawa.
Finishing fifth in the event with a time of 1:08.41 was Satomi Suzuki, a close sixth (1:08.49) went to Manami Chida.
Seventh place went to Shiori Asaba, finishing with a time of 1:08.55. Yukino Miyasaka touched eighth (1:08.82).
Women’s 100m Backstroke Semi-Final
The semi-final of the women’s 100m back was also swam today. Natsumi Sakai finished first with a time of 1:00.65. Like Aoki in the semi’s of the 100m breast, she looks to drop this time tomorrow as she was just off the world’s A cut of 1:00.59.
Also finishing at a sub-minute in the event was Emi Moronuki placing second (1:00.92). In third with a time of 1:01.02 was Anna Konishi. Touching a close fourth was Marina Furubayashi with a time of 1:01.06. Miyuki Takemura took fifth (1:01.27).
Tying for sixth was Sayaka Akase and Miki Takahashi. Both finished at a 1:01.36. In seventh with a time of 1:01.98 was Zika Yuhara. Tomoko Takeba placed eighth (1:02.06).
Men’s 200m Freestyle Semi-Final
It was a close race for top seed in the men’s 200m free semi-final. Naito Ehara got his hand to the wall first with a time of 1:48.40. Just behind him with a time of 1:48.44 was Katsuhiro Matsumoto. Rounding off top three, and only a hundredth behind Matsumoto, was Keisuke Yoshida, finishing at a 1:48.45.
Also in the 1:48 range were Koutarou Takahashi finishing fourth (1:48.52) and Kaito Nakamura placing fifth (1:48.67).
In sixth with a time of 1:49.09 was Rea Sakata. Seventh (1:49.14) went to Atsushi Fujiyama, with Ryo Saitou placing eighth (1:49.29).
Women’s 200m Freestyle Semi-Final
Finishing off today’s session was the semi-final of the women’s 200m free. Taking first with a world’s A cut time of 1:58.06 was Rio Shirai. Pushing second with a time of 1:58.97 was Tomomi Aoki.
In third with a time of 1:59.23 was Chihiro Igarashi, with Nagisa Ikemoto finishing fourth (1:59.78).
Finishing in the two minute range were Natsuki Maruyama, Aoi Masuda and Sayaka Kashiwazaki. Maruyama placed fifth (2:00.36), Masuda took sixth (2:00.42) and Kashiwazaki placed seventh (2:00.63).
Haruno Ito finished eighth (2:01.17).
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