Katsuhiro Matsumoto Pops Impressive Mark in 200 Freestyle At Japanese Champs; Reona Aoki Stars In 100 Breast

Katsuhiro Matsumoto Pops Impressive Mark in 200 Freestyle At Japanese Champs; Reona Aoki Stars In 100 Breast

The Japanese Swimming Championships moved into Day Two on Wednesday, with Katsuhiro Matsumoto highlighting the act with a sub-1:45 performance in the 200-meter freestyle. Matsumoto, the silver medalist in the event from the 2019 World Championships, touched the wall in 1:44.98, an effort that provided a comfortable cushion over runnerup Hidenari Mano (1:47.55).

A sub-1:45 performance from Matsumoto confirms he’ll be part of the podium conversation at this summer’s World Championships, which will be held in his homeland. While Romanian teenager David Popovici has created a gap between himself and the rest of the world, a logjam of contenders stands behind him, including Matsumoto. Matsumoto is the Japanese record holder in the event.

In the women’s 100 breaststroke, Reona Aoki put together a strong showing as the only athlete to break the 1:06 barrier. Aoki stopped the clock in 1:05.89, which was nearly a second faster than the 1:06.88 of Satomi Suzuki.

Veteran Ryosuke Irie prevailed in the men’s 100 backstroke, going 53.46 to advance to the World Champs. Irie has been the face of the backstroke events for Japan for a decade and his preparation toward the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris appears to be on schedule.

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