The 2016 Asian Swimming Championships dashed into action today in Tokyo with fast times highlighting the results.
Racing got off to a quick start with China’s Yan Zibei and Japan’s Koseki Yasuhiro tying for the first place seed in the men’s 50-meter breaststroke heats. The two delivered matching times of 27.94 to overturn the previous championship record of 28.03. Yan slipped to fourth in finals with a 27.85, while Yasuhiro powered to a new championship record of 27.62.
China delivered a 1-2 finish in finals of the women’s 50-meter back, led by Fu Yuanhui. Fu’s 27.86 was the only sub-28 second swim of the event. Teammate Wang Xueer turned in a 28.01 for third, while Japan’s Emi Moronuki posted a 28.39 for third.
Li Zhuhao of China flirted with a sub-52 second swim in finals of the men’s 100-meter fly, stopping the clock at a 52.00. Li’s time slid past the previous championship record of 52.04. Japan secured a double silver finish with matching times of 52.77 from teammates Masato Sakai and Takeshi Kawamoto.
Zhou Yilin of China soared ahead of the competition in finals of the women’s 200-meter fly finishing more than a second ahead of the field. Zhou stopped the clock at a 2:07.40 to collect gold, while teammate Zhang Yufei touched second with a 2:08.50. Miyu Nakano of Japan rounded out the podium with a 2:10.90.
Korea grabbed their first gold of the meet with a top showing from Park Tae Hwan in the men’s 200-meter free final. Park delivered a 1:45.16 to lower the previous championship record of 1:45.49. China’s Wang Shun (1:47.07) and Japan’s Katsuhiro Matsumoto (1:47.87) completed the podium.
The women’s 100-meter free final was a showdown between young sprint stars Zhu Menghui of China and Rikako Ikee of Japan. Both stopped the clock beneath the previous championship record of 54.84, but it was Zhu who wrote her name in the record books with a final time of 53.44. Ikee finished second with a 53.68, lowering her own Japanese national record of 53.69 by .01 seconds. China’s Shen Duo picked up third with a 54.03, also under the previous championship record time.
Japan’s Daiya Seto continued the record-breaking streak with a new championship record of his own in the men’s 400-meter IM. Seto posted a final time of 4:10.17 to demolish the previous record of 4:16.28. The Chinese duo of Wang Shun and Mao Feilian also slipped beneath the previous record with times of 4:15.10 and 4:15.73 respectively.
The individual events concluded with one last championship record as Thi Anh Vien Nguyen of Vietnam turned in a 4:37.71 in the women’s 400-meter IM. Japan’s Sakiko Shimizu also finished under the previous championship record of 4:41.29 with a final time of 4:40.29. Teammate Yui Ohashi turned in a 4:44.75 for third.
