Rikako Ikee, 16, of Japan made her 2016 World Cup debut at the Tokyo stop of the series, where she continued to impress as a young butterfly ace.
Ikee posted a fourth place finish of 56.42 in the 100 fly, behind big guns Kelsi Worrell, Jeanette Ottesen, and Katinka Hosszu, to lower the existing World Junior Record of 56.64.
The previous women’s 100 fly World Junior Record was a time of 56.64, however FINA has no name associated with the time. This is because when FINA began recognizing short course meter records in January of 2015 they simply set “benchmarks” for times. As those benchmark times are bypassed the record book begins to fill with names.
The 16-year-old Olympian is no stranger to World Junior records, owning the 50 LCM free (24.72) as well. In addition to WJ records Ikee also owns a total of four national records (all LCM): 50 free (24.67), 100 free (53.69), 50 fly (25.50), and 100 fly (56.86).
In her first Olympics Ikee qualified to swim in a wealth of events (four individual and three relay) with her highest showing being in the 100 fly, where she touched sixth overall.
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