Day One of Japanese Nationals Lacks Zip

By Hideki Mochizuki

YOKOHAMA, Japan, April 21. THE 81st Japanese National Swimming Championships began today at Yokohama International Aquatic Center for four days of competition. And, in general, it was a slow first day for a meet that serves as the selection competition for this summer's World Championships in Montreal. No Japanese records were set.

The biggest surprise was reported in Flash news that Kosuke Kitajima lost his usual posture in the 200 breaststroke final and slipped to a third-place finish. Kitajima was leading up to 145 meters but lost his usual sharpness quickly.

Norimasa Hirai, Kitajima's coach, was shocked with the result, saying "Lack of training? maybe. But, it should be difficult to accept this result with his pride as gold. He needs to overcome this challenge in the next race."

Another gold medalist from Athens, in the women's 800 freestyle, Ai Shibata edged Sachiko Yamada by three seconds, touching the pad in 4:07.93 for the 400 free. Yamada was shooting for a seventh straight win in this event.

“I was definitely going to break the Japan record but could not make it," Shibata said. "I am not satisfied with this time. I wish I could have stayed a little solid in the latter half of the race.”

In other opening-night races, Maiko Fujino bettered the field in the women's 400 individual medley, as she touched the wall in 4:41.96. She was joined as a winner by Megumi Taneda in the 200 breaststroke (2:28.62) and Ayako Doi in the 50 butterfly (27.39).

For the men, victories were claimed by Daisuke Hosokawa in the 100 free (50.47) and by Ryo Takayasu in the 50 fly (24.17).

Day One

Women's 400 Freestyle

1. Ai Shibata 82 4:07.93 ( 0.84)

28.96 59.87 1:30.99 2:02.35 2:33.82 3:05.49 3:37.11

2. Sachiko Yamada 82 4:11.37 ( 0.83)

29.47 1:00.61 1:32.34 2:04.16 2:35.90 3:08.27 3:40.12

3. Yumi Kida 85 4:14.53 ( 0.82)

30.10 1:01.97 1:33.93 2:06.10 2:38.40 3:10.68 3:42.99

4. Haruka Ueda 88 4:14.85 ( 0.89)

29.53 1:01.28 1:33.27 2:05.51 2:38.17 3:10.92 3:43.71

5. Yurie Yano 88 4:15.99 ( 0.82)

30.32 1:02.29 1:34.68 2:07.12 2:39.59 3:12.01 3:44.39

6. Yuen Kobayashi 86 4:18.34 ( 0.87)

30.30 1:02.66 1:35.00 2:08.15 2:40.57 3:13.74 3:46.65

7. Kanae Iwai 85 4:19.28 ( 0.75)

30.25 1:02.18 1:34.99 2:08.24 2:41.41 3:14.60 3:47.44

8. Emi Takanabe 85 4:21.67 ( 0.79)

30.10 1:02.86 1:35.95 2:09.29 2:42.61 3:16.30 3:49.53

Women's 50 Butterfly

1. Ayako Doi 80 27.39 ( 0.72)

2. Masae Oshimi 86 27.69 ( 0.85)

3. Natsuko Kazumoto 83 27.75 ( 0.73)

4. Yuki Miyatake 86 27.93 ( 0.67)

5. Rina Hayashi 87 27.95 ( 0.73)

6. Ayano Kuroki 86 27.97 ( 0.77)

7. Yuka Kato 86 28.02 ( 0.74)

8. Nanami Urata 84 28.40 ( 0.78)

Men 50 Butterfly

1. Ryo Takayasu 81 24.17 ( 0.69)

2. Kohei Kawamoto 79 24.28 ( 0.65)

3. Takuya Kitamoto 84 24.40 ( 0.65)

4. Masahiro Okuno 81 24.43 ( 0.66)

5. Yasutake Takamatsu 82 24.65 ( 0.66)

6. Yoshihiro Sugawara 84 24.67 ( 0.69)

7. Daisuke Abe 82 24.76 ( 0.67)

Ranmaru Harada 87 DQ

Women's 400 IM

1. Maiko Fujino 83 4:41.96 ( 0.82)

30.49 1:04.75 1:41.48 2:16.84 2:56.45 3:36.31 4:09.51

2. Aiko Morishita 84 4:46.71 ( 0.73)

30.68 1:05.13 1:41.82 2:17.88 2:59.63 3:41.42 4:14.20

3. Misa Amano 86 4:47.19 ( 0.81)

31.39 1:05.90 1:43.98 2:21.63 3:01.83 3:42.47 4:15.32

4. Tsukushi Irita 87 4:48.40 ( 0.77)

31.37 1:06.60 1:44.79 2:21.96 3:02.12 3:43.19 4:16.42

5. Sawami Fujita 84 4:50.32 ( 0.69)

30.12 1:04.80 1:42.66 2:20.02 3:02.15 3:44.25 4:17.58

6. Megumi Inoue 86 4:51.85 ( 0.83)

30.41 1:04.61 1:41.76 2:17.89 3:00.21 3:43.26 4:18.22

7. Shino Hitomi 85 4:52.76 ( 0.69)

31.61 1:06.92 1:46.73 2:25.84 3:05.68 3:45.45 4:19.46

8. Izumi Kato 90 4:53.16 ( 0.78)

31.36 1:07.52 1:46.31 2:23.43 3:04.95 3:46.09 4:20.78

Men's 100 Freestyle

1. Daisuke Hosokawa 82 24.45 50.47 ( 0.73)

2. Hisayoshi Sato 87 24.58 50.69 ( 0.81)

3. Hideaki Hara 74 24.74 50.75 ( 0.64)

4. Yukihiro Okumura 83 25.01 50.79 ( 0.67)

5. Takamitsu Kojima 81 24.82 51.09 ( 0.74)

6. Makoto Ito 86 24.42 51.10 ( 0.78)

7. Hiroaki Yamamoto 87 24.75 51.28 ( 0.73)

8. Takuji Iida 84 24.96 51.40 ( 0.73)

Women's 200 Breaststroke

1. Megumi Taneda 86 2:28.62 ( 0.78)

35.17 1:12.81 1:50.75

2. Nanaka Tamura 87 2:29.05 ( 0.77)

34.77 1:13.05 1:50.93

3. Asami Kitagawa 87 2:29.11 ( 0.74)

34.70 1:12.83 1:51.22

4. Yuko Sakaguchi 79 2:29.29 ( 0.72)

34.88 1:12.85 1:51.24

5. Marisa Tajitsu 91 2:29.40 ( 0.79)

34.40 1:12.57 1:50.97

6. Manami Hotta 89 2:30.69 ( 0.75)

34.32 1:12.14 1:50.82

7. Shino Hitomi 85 2:32.13 ( 0.71)

34.88 1:13.83 1:53.26

8. Fumiko Kawanabe 84 2:34.35 ( 0.79)

35.86 1:14.53 1:53.86

Men's 200 Breaststroke

1. Genki Imamura 82 2:11.70 ( 0.70)

30.10 1:03.69 1:37.77

2. Daisuke Kimura 81 2:13.02 ( 0.84)

30.87 1:04.66 1:38.73

3. Kosuke Kitajima 82 2:13.26 ( 0.69)

29.89 1:03.62 1:37.95

4. Hiroshi Tenma 81 2:13.91 ( 0.81)

31.06 1:05.20 1:39.51

5. Taiki Kawagoe 84 2:14.29 ( 0.74)

30.62 1:04.69 1:39.70

6. Yuki Sato 86 2:14.71 ( 0.74)

31.15 1:05.60 1:40.20

7. Yuichi Narusawa 84 2:14.90 ( 0.76)

31.35 1:05.81 1:40.31

8. Yuta Suenaga 85 2:15.61 ( 0.72)

30.71 1:05.45 1:40.24

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