Tomoru Honda Takes Down Seto in 200 Fly at Japan Open; Hagino, Ohashi Take 200 IM Wins
The 2021 Japan Open continued Saturday from the Tokyo Olympic Aquatic Center with some of Japan’s best competing 168 days out from a home Olympics. Notably, this meet has seen the return of multi-world champ Daiya Seto from suspension as he swam the 200 IM and 200 butterfly on Saturday.
Tomoru Honda won the 200 fly final at 1:55.32 ahead of Nao Horomura (1:55.68) and Seto (1:56.32) as the three tussled in a solid race. Those three now lead the world rankings in the early days of 2021.
Seto returned a short time later in the 200 IM with an eighth place finish at 2:03.89, as Kosuke Hagino won the final at 1:58.14 ahead of Juran Mizohata (1:58.82). Hagino’s time is quicker than the 1:58.6 he went last month at the Kitajima Cup as he is also leading the world rankings in the early days of 2021.
Yui Ohashi, another one of Japan’s IM standouts, won the 200 IM at 2:09.59, which is also quicker than her 2:09.8 last month as she leads the world rankings as well with her swim today. She won ahead of Rika Omoto (2:10.62) and Miho Teramura (2:11.60).
In the women’s 200 fly, Hiroko Makino scored a win over Suzuka Hasegawa with a 2:07.88 to Hasegawa’s 2:08.80 with Kina Hayashi in third (2:08.84). Makino was leading the world rankings with a 2:09 earlier this year as both she and Hasegawa sit 1-2 in the global rankings.
33-year-old Junya Koga won the 50 back final at 24.95 as he is back racing after serving a doping ban. The 50 back is not an Olympic event however, as Koga has been one of the top backstroke sprinters in the world.
In the women’s 100 free, Chihiro Igarashi won the final at 54.63 ahead of Rio Shirai (54.79) as they are the lead charges for Japan’s sprint relays moving forward, after setting a national record in the 4×100 free relay at the 2019 Worlds without the presence of national record holder Rikako Ikee.
Other winners on the night included Waka Kobori in the 800 free (8:27.08), Natsumi Sakai in the 50 back (28.18) and Ikki Imoto in the 400 free (3:49.89).