This week’s ZUMO Performance of the Week goes to Daiya Seto of Energy Standard and Japan as he broke the world record in the 400 IM in short course meters on Friday at the final of the International Swimming League in Las Vegas. Seto was making his debut for the Energy Standard team as he signed on to the team before the season started but didn’t swim in a meet for the team until the Vegas final.
Seto swam the 400 IM at 3:54.81, lowering Ryan Lochte’s world record of 3:55.50 that had stood since 2010 as Seto was miles in front of second place Duncan Scott. Seto came up huge for Energy Standard as he won the 400 IM, 200 IM and 200 butterfly as Energy Standard defeated the London Roar by 9.5 points. He lowered his personal best in the 400 IM by less than a second as he was 0.03 off Lochte’s world record earlier this year, showing he was in prime condition to take another stab at the world record.
Lochte’s record was good for the world title back in 2010 and included a killer last 100m freestyle. Seto was between 2-3secs up on Lochte’s pace throughout the first three strokes, felt the heat and pain on freestyle but had done enough:
- 52.35; 1:51.40; 2:57.90; 3:54.81 (29.07, 27.84 = 56.91) Seto WR 2019
- 54.62; 1:53.73; 3:01.14; 3:55.50 (27.69, 26.67 = 54.36) Lochte WR 2010
Seto will be one of the faces of the 2020 Olympic Games this coming summer in Tokyo as he is coming off a summer where he won both IM gold medals at the World Championships. The 25-year-old has been on fire as he will be looking to improve on his bronze medal from Rio in the 400 IM. He also was fifth in the 200 fly final in Rio and will have a chance to win a medal in that event in Tokyo next summer. If Seto can win a gold medal in front of the Tokyo crowd in the Olympics, then he will launch himself into swimming immortality.
Congrats to Daiya Seto on winning this week’s ZUMO Performance of the Week!
All-Time Top Ten Men’s 400 IM (SCM)
- 3:54.81, Daiya Seto, JPN, 2019
- 3:55.50, Ryan Lochte, USA, 2010
- 3:56.48, Kosuke Hagino, JPN, 2014
- 3:57.27, Laszlo Cseh, HUN, 2009
- 3:57.40, Oussama Mellouli, TUN, 2010
- 3:57.56, Tyler Clary, USA, 2010
- 3:57.91, Thomas Fraser-Holmes, AUS, 2015
- 3:59.23, Chad Le Clos, RSA, 2013
- 3:59.32, Hyuuma Noda, JPN, 2014
- 3:59.47, Peter Bernek, HUN, 2017
Previous ZUMO Performances of the Week
ZUMO Performance of the Week: Anna Hopkin Nearly Breaks 21 Seconds in 50 Free at Mizzou Invite