Sun Yang, Kosuke Hagino, Tae Hwan Park Set Up Another Epic 400 Free Finale at Asian Games

Photo Courtesy: Asian Games

INCHEON, South Korea, September 22. Sun Yang, after scratching the 800 free relay last night due to a hand injury sustained during the finish of the 200 free on night one, confirmed to reporters that he planned to swim the 400 free this morning. And, he definitely put in a strong effort to lead the men’s 400 free prelims. Meanwhile, China’s Ning Zetao finished the morning with the Games record in the men’s 50 free.

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Women’s 50 back
Men’s 50 free
Women’s 400 IM
Men’s 200 breast
Women’s 100 fly
Men’s 400 free

Women’s 50 back

Photo Courtesy: Joao Marc Bosch

China’s Fu Yuanhui, the world leader this year with a sizzling 27.51 from the Chinese Nationals, led everyone this morning in the sprint back with a time of 27.64 as she just missed her top time in the world.

Kazakhstan’s Yekaterina Rudenko picked up the top time of the rest of the swimmers with a 28.27 to move up to 15th in the world, while China’s Cheng Haihua raced to third in 28.73.

Japan’s Miyuki Takemura (28.82), Hong Kong’s Stephanie Au (29.04), South Korea’s Hanbyeol Park (29.08), Japan’s Sayaka Akase (29.39) and Uzbekistan’s Yulduz Kuchkarova (29.79) also managed to make the finale. Taipei’s Yi Chen Yu placed ninth in 29.93 as the only other sub-30 of the morning.

Men’s 50 free

Photo Courtesy: Bestswimming

China went dropped the Games record in the men’s splash-and-dash on back-to-back heats with Ning Zetao nearly clearing his Chinese record in the process. Yu Hexin first dropped a 22.32 in heat 5 to lower the Games record of 23.37 set by Lu Zhiwu back in 2010. Ning followed up with a sizzling 21.94 in the final heat.

Ning’s time is just a bit off Shinri Shioura’s Asian record of 21.88 from April, while also just missing his Chinese record of 21.91 from the Chinese National Games last September. Ning will have plenty of competition tonight with Shioura qualifying second overall in 22.09.

Japan’s Kenta Ito (22.64), South Korea’s Jungdoo Yang (22.65), Hong Kong’s Geoffrey Cheah (22.81), Taipei’s Kuo Chi Change (23.08) and Hong Kong’s Jeremy Wong (23.28) will also compete in the finale.

Women’s 400 IM

Jul 31, 2012; London, United Kingdom; Ye Shiwen (CHN) poses with her gold medal and a China flag after winning the women's 200m individual medley finals during the London 2012 Olympic Games at Aquatics Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Photo Courtesy: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

World-record holder Ye Shiwen dusted off some rust during the front half of her swim, under world record pace at the 200, before settling in to just clinch a spot in tonight’s finale with a 4:38.21. The world-record holder with a 4:28.43 from the 2012 London Olympics, Ye already leads the world with a 4:30.84 from Chinese Nationals. If her first 200 is any indication, she could be in for a special swim tonight.

Japan’s Sakiko Shimizu cruised into a 4:40.49 to win the first heat and qualify second overall, while South Korea’s Seoyeong Kim (4:44.27) and Yoosun Nam (4:45.82) earned third and fourth-place honors.

China’s Zhou Min (4:46.12), Japan’s Miho Takahashi (4:46.58), Vietnam’s Thi Anh Vien Nguyen (4:46.77) and Uzbekistan’s Ranokhon Amanova (4:50.74) comprised the rest of the championship heat.

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Men’s 200 breast

The top-ranked swimmer coming into the meet, Yasuhiro Koseki of Japan with a fifth-ranked 2:08.34 from the Japan Open, definitely did just what he had to do to make the finale as he qualified fourth overall in 2:14.03. He definitely should have more in the tank during tonight’s final.

Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Balandin is looking for his nation’s first swimming medal of the meet after qualifying first in 2:11.11, while Japan’s Kazuki Kohinata finished second in 2:11.28. South Korea’s Kyuwoong Choi rounded out the top three in 2:13.91.

China’s Mao Feilian (2:14.50), and Li Xiang (2:14.76) qualified fifth and sixth, while Thailand’s Nuttapong Ketin (2:15.18) and Uzbekistan’s Vladislav Mustafin (2:15.19) also snared transfer spots into the finale.

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Women’s 100 fly

China’s Chen Xinyi led a trio of swimmers under 1:00 this morning with a 58.56, while Japan’s Natsumi Hoshi (59.60) and Miyu Nakano (59.73) wound up putting up 59s for the second and third spots in the finale.

South Korea’s Sehyeon An (1:00.16), China’s Lu Ying (1:00.45), Kazakhstan’s Elmire Aigaliyeva (1:00.96), Singapore’s Li Tao (1:01.71) and Hong Kong’s Kin Lok Chan (1:01.88) finished fourth through eighth to close out the championship field.

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Men’s 400 free

Photo Courtesy: Joao Marc Bosch

China’s Sun Yang definitely looked to have shaken off his hand injury as he raced to the top seed with a 3:51.17. He closed the final 100 in 28.38 and 29.08 in a head-to-head against South Korea’s Tae Hwan Park in the final heat to make a statement that the injury isn’t as serious as some might have believed. Park took third in 3:53.80 with the meet’s MVP thus far, Kosuke Hagino, taking second in 3:52.24 as he looks for his fifth medal of the meet.

All three have been much faster this year, but against a sparse field at the Asian Games they didn’t need that much to make finals. Park owns the top time in the world with a 3:43.15, while Hagino is fourth with a 3:43.90. Sun is seventh in the world with a 3:45.12.

China’s Hao Yun (3:54.36), Japan’s Kohei Yamamoto (3:54.95), Malaysia’s Kevin Yeap (3:56.85), Singapore’s Kai Quan Yeo (3:57.42) and Malaysia’s Vernon Lee (3:58.27) also chased down lanes in the championship finale.

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kevin

9 years ago

any link for the men’s 400m freestyle r

kevin

9 years ago

sorry end of my msg :
link for the men’s 400m freestyle race video? didn’t find it on youtube. Thanks

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Jason Marsteller

9 years ago

Reply to kevin

We haven’t found any official race video yet

jason v

9 years ago

The 400 Free results should be here. I’ll see what I can find. Exciting stuff!

jason v

9 years ago

Sun Yang 3:43.23
Kosuke Hagino 3:44.48.
Park Tae-Hwan 3:48.33.

jason v

9 years ago

Dimitriy Balandin (19 years old!) of Kazakhstan wins 200m breaststroke with a 2:07.67 in the finals. Balandin time leaves Kosuke Kitajima’s previous 200m breaststroke Asian Games record of 2:09.97 as a faint memory.
Keep an eye out on Balandin!