The Japan Swim 2020 continued Friday from the Tokyo Olympic Aquatic Center in its maiden voyage 232 days ahead of the start of the 2021 Games as many of Japan’s best got their first taste of racing in the Olympic pool.
Many of Japan’s medal hopefuls were in action as Katsuhiro Matsumoto took the 200 freestyle at 1:46.10, which puts him tied for fourth in the world this year with Russia’s Martin Malyutin and just behind Great Britain’s Tom Dean (1:46.03).
Matsumoto won the silver medal at the 2019 Worlds in the 200 free and is a medal favorite for that event in a race that has become wide open since the suspension of China’s Sun Yang and could also lead Japan to a spot on the podium in the 4×200 free relay after capturing bronze in 2016. Kotaro Takashi (1:48.37), Taikan Tanaka (1:48.97) and Yuki Kobori (1:49.03) finished second through fourth while Kosuke Hagino was seventh at 1:49.53.
Long-time force on the Japanese national team Ryosuke Irie won the 100 back with a 53.04 which is a little off his 2020 best of 52.9 from January in the pre-COVID FINA Champions Series. Irie, a month shy of his 31st birthday, is a medal favorite in both the 100 and 200 back as he is looking to capture his first Olympic podium appearance since getting silver in the 200 and bronze in the 100 back at the 2012 Games. Takahiro Yamazaki (54.40) finished second ahead of Hagino (54.43).
Sakiko Shimizu won the women’s 400 IM with an impressive 4:36.77 in the absence of Worlds medalist Yui Ohashi as Shimizu, an Olympic finalist in 2016, put herself third in the world rankings for 2020 behind Melanie Margalis (4:32.53) and Katinka Hosszu (4:36.02) as she was not far off her 4:34 best from the 2016 Olympics. She finished ahead of Ageha Tanigawa (4:41.33).
Many of Japan’s best recently returned home from an extended stay in Budapest at the International Swimming League, including Rio Shirai and Natsumi Sakai, who played a big role for the Tokyo Frog Kings in a number of events. Shirai won the 200 free on Friday at the Japan Swim 2020 with a 1:58.12, good for 15th in the world for 2020, touching ahead of Chihiro Igarashi (1:58.69), while Sakai won the 100 back at 59.54, good for eighth in the world, touching ahead of Anna Konishi (1:00.43).
Shogo Takeda won the men’s 1500 with a 15:06.81, while flipping at 8:00.65 at the 800.