Rikako Ikee and Katsuhiro Matsumoto Claim Third Victories at Japanese Championships
Already the titlist in the 100-meter freestyle and 200 freestyle at the Japanese Championships, Katsuhiro Matsumoto added a third gold medal to his collection on Saturday night. The only athlete to crack the 51-second barrier in the event, Matsumoto clocked 50.96 to win the 100 butterfly.
Over the past few seasons, Matsumoto has emerged as one of Japan’s leading names in the sport, with multiple medal opportunities on the horizon at this summer’s World Championships in Fukuoka. In his latest triumph, Matsumoto was out in 23.79 and came home in a split of 27.17.
A trio of countrymen followed with sub-52 performances, headlined by Naoki Mizunuma with a mark of 51.35. Takaya Yasue was next in 51.59, followed by Takeshi Kawamoto in 51.74.
Like Matsumoto, Rikako Ikee secured her third win of the competition, claiming first place in the 50 butterfly. Ikee went 25.59 to complement her earlier gold medals in the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly. Ikee is a Leukemia survivor who continues to progress back up the global ranks, where she once rated among the top performers in the world. More important, her tale is one of perseverance.
In the women’s 800 freestyle, Waka Kobori outdistanced the field in dominant fashion, as her time of 8:27.85 was good for a five-plus second victory. Meanwhile, Rio Shirai was quickest in the 200 backstroke, going 2:10.01.
In the men’s 50 freestyle, Shinri Shioura prevailed in 21.99.