Japanese Short Course Championships: Satomi Suzuki, Yuki Okajima Set Japanese Records

TOKYO, Japan, February 12. THE second of a two-night Japanese Short Course Championships came to an end with a pair of national records being christened. Meanwhile, a handful of other world-class times were posted on the scoreboard as well.

Satomi Suzuki lowered the national record in the women's 50 breast with a top time of 30.23. That swim eclipsed the 30.24 set by Nanaka Tamura at the 2009 Berlin World Cup stop. She moved to a sixth-place tie on the seasonal world rankings with the performance. Notably, 16-year-old Misaki Sekiguchi took third in a junior national record of 31.20.

Yuki Okajima tied the national record in the men's 50 breast with a 26.66. Ryo Tateishi set the previous record with a 26.66 at the Tokyo stop of the 2011 World Cup. Okajima tied Tateishi for sixth in the world rankings this season with the swim. Tateishi closed out the night with a triumph in the men's 200 breast with a 2:03.82, just shy of his third-ranked 2:03.49 from the Tokyo stop as well.

Kanako Watanabe won the women's 200 breast title in 2:19.14, just missing her second-ranked time of 2:19.05 from the Beijing stop of the World Cup. Miho Takahashi placed a close second in 2:19.35 to move to third in the world rankings, ahead of Rikke Moeller Pedersen (2:19.55). Rebecca Soni holds the top time in the world with a 2:17.69.

Shiho Sakai topped the women's 100 back in 57.55, jumping to 10th in the world rankings this season, while Takahiro Yamazaki took the title in the men's 100 back with a 52.11.

Izumi Kato touched out Ayaka Komatsubara, 2:08.64 to 2:08.79, to win the women's 200 IM. Asami Kitagawa finished just behind with a third-place 2:08.81 in an exciting three-way contest for the victory. Kato just missed her 12th-ranked 2:08.46 from the Stockholm stop of the World Cup series last year. Emu Higuchi, 16, set the junior national record with a fifth-place 2:09.41.

Kosuke Hagino, who ranks sixth in the world in the men's 200 IM with a 1:53.67 from the Tokyo stop of the World Cup, won tonight in 1:54.89.

Rino Hosada picked up the women's 100 fly crown in 57.79, while Ryo Takayasu won the men's 100 fly in 51.07. Hanae Ito claimed the women's 100 free in 53.59, while Kenta Ito took home the men's 100 free title in 47.54. Ayano Hoguchi captured the women's 400 free title in 4:06.20, while Fumiya Hidaka snagged the men's 400 free victory in 3:43.54.

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