Liu Xiang’s World Record, Sun Yang’s Consistency Highlight Night Three of Asian Games

Photo Courtesy: Jinq En Phee

The third night of finals from the 2018 Asian Games featured seven events as it was one of the fastest nights of swimming thus far in Jakarta. Liu Xiang broke a world record that had stood since 2009. China won four gold medals to Japan’s three on Tuesday night in Indonesia as Liu, Sun Yang and Yu Hexin won golds for the Chinese.

Rikako Ikee, Yasuhiro Koseki and Yui Ohashi were also gold medalists for Japan as all three were either faster or within a second of their Pan Pacs time from earlier this month. Those three along with Kosuke Hagino and Daiya Seto are proving to be a nice core of swimmers heading into the last two years of the Tokyo Olympic quad.

Live Results

Women’s 50 Back

The third night of finals from the 2018 Asian Games got off to a rousing start as the first world record from the swimming pool fell on Tuesday night in Jakarta. China’s Liu Xiang, no relation to the sprint hurdler from the mid-2000’s, broke another super suit world record in the 50 backstroke, touching in a 26.98. Liu broke the world record of countrywoman Zhao Jing of 27.06 from the Rome World Championships.

Liu finished ahead of fellow Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui, who many expected would be the first to break the world record after she had been close to it the last few years, including posting a 27.16 earlier this year. But it was Liu who will keep the world record in the Chinese family.

Japan’s Natsumi Sakai won the bronze medal with a 27.91 while Fu took home the silver at 27.68.

This marks the seventh world record of 2018 in long course swimming. This leaves just three world records on the women’s side since 2009 with Liu Zige’s 200 fly, Federica Pellegrini’s 200 free and China’s 4×200 free relay.

Zhao’s world record had stood since 2009 after it got exchanged a number of times earlier in the summer. Liu also becomes the third Chinese swimmer to hold the world record after Zhao and Li Yang.

World Record Progression:

Liu Xiang, CHN, 26.98 (2018)
Zhao Jing, CHN, 27.06 (2009)
Anastasia Zueva (sf), RUS, 27.38 (2009)
Daniela Samulski (sf), GER, 27.39 (2009)
Samulski, GER, 27.61 (2009)
Zhao, CHN, 27.67 (2009)
Sophie Edington, AUS, 27.67 (2008)
Emily Seebohm (sf), AUS, 27.95 (2008)
Hayley McGregory, USA, 28.00 (2008)
Li Yang, CHN, 28.09 (2007)

All-Time Rankings:

Liu Xiang, CHN, 26.98 (2018)
Zhao Jing, CHN, 27.06 (2009)
Fu Yuanhui, CHN, 27.11 (2015)
Etiene Medeiros, BRA, 27.14 (2017)
Georgia Davies, GBR, 27.21 (2018)
Daniela Samulski, GER, 27.23 (2009)
Aliaksandra Herasimenia, BLR, 27.23 (2017)
Anastasia Fesikova, RUS, 27.23 (2018)

Race Results:

Liu Xiang, CHN, 26.98, WORLD RECORD
Fu Yuanhui, CHN, 27.68
Natsumi Sakai, JPN, 27.91
Anna Konishi, JPN, 28.37
Park Hanbyeol, KOR, 28.39
Stephanie Au, HKG, 28.70
Shin Youngyeon, KOR, 28.85
Kwan To Wong, HKG, 29.02

Men’s 50 Free

China’s Yu Hexin is the fastest swimmer at the pool in Jakarta as he won the Asian Games gold medal in the 50 free with a 22.11 to just out-touch Katsumi Nakamura of Japan at 22.20. Japan’s Shunichi Nakao won the bronze medal at 22.46.

Yu is the third straight Chinese man to win the 50 free at the Asian Games and the fifth man overall. He joins Shen Jianqiang (1990), Jiang Chengji (1998), Lu Zhiwu (2010) and Ning Zetao (2014) as Chinese gold medalists in the event.

India’s Virdhawal Khade (22.47), Hong Kong’s Kenneth To (22.54), Singapore’s Tzen Wei Teong (22.59), Kazakhstan’s Adilbek Mussin (22.64) and Taipei’s Lin Chienliang (22.67) also swam in the final.

Yu Hexin, CHN, 22.11
Katsumi Nakamura, JPN, 22.20
Shunichi Nakao, JPN, 22.46
Virdhawal Khade, IND, 22.47
Kenneth To, HKG, 22.54
Tzen Wei Teong, SIN, 22.59
Adilbek Mussin, KAZ, 22.64
Lin Chienliang, TPE, 22.67

2018 Virtual World Championships:

Ben Proud, GBR, 21.34, Europeans
Kristian Gkolomeev, GRE, 21.44, Europeans
Michael Andrew, USA, 21.46, Pan Pacs
Andrea Vergani, ITA, 21.68, Europeans
Vladimir Morozov, RUS, 21.74, Europeans
Bradley Tandy, RSA, 21.81, Commonwealth Games
Cameron McEvoy, AUS, 21.92, Commonwealth Games
Caeleb Dressel, USA, 21.93, Pan Pacs

Women’s 400 IM

Japan’s Yui Ohashi, the fastest swimmer in the world for 2018, won her first Asian Games gold medal taking out the 400 IM on night three in Jakarta. Ohashi won the gold with a 4:34.58, a little slower than her 4:33.77 from Pan Pacs earlier in the month, but good enough to win by nearly three full seconds. Ohashi won the gold ahead of South Korea’s Kim Seoyeong (4:37.43), who won the silver medal.

Ohashi was about a second and a half off of Ye Shiwen’s Games Record of 4:32.97 from 2014.

Both Ohashi and Kim would have finaled in the Virtual World Championships after all the major international meets this summer. Japan’s Sakiko Shimizu won the bronze medal here in Jakarta with her 4:39.10, much slower than her 4:36.27 from Pan Pacs. She too would have gotten in the final at the Virtual Worlds with that Pan Pac time.

Those three were well ahead of the rest of the field as China’s Zhou Min (4:42.75) and Vietnam’s Vien Nguyen (4:42.81) finished off the podium in fourth and fifth. Ohashi became the fourth Japanese swimmer to win the 400 IM at the Asian Games joining the likes of Mio Hirata (1978), Hideka Koshimizu (1982) and Yasuko Tajima (1998) as winners in the event for Japan.

Yui Ohashi, JPN, 4:34.58
Kim Seoyeong, KOR, 4:37.43
Sakiko Shimizu, JPN, 4:39.10
Zhou Min, CHN, 4:42.75
Vien Nguyen, VIE, 4:42.81
Yang Chang, CHN, 4:47.24
Hoi Kiu Lam, HKG, 4:55.42
Azzahra Permatahani, INA, 4:58.89

Virtual World Championships:

Yui Ohashi, JPN, 4:33.77, Pan Pacs
Fantine Lesaffre, FRA, 4:34.17, Europeans
Aimee Willmott, GBR, 4:34.90, Europeans
Ilaria Cusinato, ITA, 4:35.05, Europeans
Hannah Miley, GBR, 4:35.16, Europeans
Melanie Margalis, USA, 4:35.60, Pan Pacs
Sakiko Shimizu, JPN, 4:36.27, Pan Pacs
Kim Seoyeong, KOR, 4:37.43, Asian Games

Men’s 200 Breast

Japan continued its long standing tradition of breaststroke with Yasuhiro Koseki and Ippei Watanabe claiming the top two spots at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. On Tuesday night, Koseki was able to hold off world record holder Watanabe for the 200 breaststroke gold medal with a 2:07.81 to Watanabe’s 2:07.82. Those two were heavily challenged by China’s Qin Haiyang (2:08.07) who ended up with the bronze.

Koseki got the upper-hand on Watanabe this time around as it was Watanabe who won the gold in Tokyo at the Pan Pacs earlier this month. Watanabe was a 2:07.75 there which will hold up as the silver medalist at the Virtual World Championships for the year. Koseki’s time here at the Asian Games will win him the mythical bronze as he moved ahead of the two Australians who were able to out-touch him at Pan Pacs.

Qin’s time would have put him sixth in the Virtual Worlds as the 200 breast it is extremely competitive in the world right now.

Notably absent was the defending Asian Games champion and reigning Olympic gold medalist Dmitriy Balandin of Kazakhstan.

China’s Yan Zibei (2:11.07), Kyrgyzstan’s Denis Petrashov (2:12.19), Korea’s Cho Sungjae (2:13.86), Macau’s Chao Man Hou (2:15.82) and Jordan’s Amor Al Wir (2:17.43) also swam in the final.

Japan now has 14 gold medals in the 200 breast at the Asian Games as Koseki joins the likes of Kosuke Kitajima (2002, 2006) and Naoya Tomita (2010) as recent winners in the event for Japan.

Yasuhiro Koseki, JPN, 2:07.81
Ippei Watanabe, JPN, 2:07.82
Qin Haiyang, CHN, 2:08.07
Yan Zibei, CHN, 2:11.07
Denis Petrashov, KGZ, 2:12.19
Cho Sungjae, KOR, 2:13.86
Chao Man Hou, MAC, 2:15.82
Amro Al Wir, JOR, 2:17.43

Virtual World Championships:

Anton Chupkov, RUS, 2:06.80, Europeans
Ippei Watanabe, JPN, 2:07.75, Pan Pacs
Yasuhiro Koseki, JPN, 2:07.81, Asian Games
Zac Stubblety-Cook, AUS, 2:07.89, Pan Pacs
James Wilby, GBR, 2:08.05, Commonwealth Games
Qin Haiyang, CHN, 2:08.07, Asian Games
Matthew Wilson, AUS, 2:08.22, Pan Pacs
Ross Murdoch, GBR, 2:08.32, Commonwealth Games

Women’s 100 Fly

Japan’s Rikako Ikee is proving why she is one of the best swimmers in the world, winning her fourth gold medal of the 2018 Asian Games with a new Games record in the 100 fly. Ikee swam a 56.30 to lower the old record of 56.61 by China’s Chen Xinyi from 2014.

Ikee was faster at Pan Pacs earlier this year when she swam a 56.08 to win the gold medal in front of her home country’s fans in Tokyo. Ikee will still have the fastest time in the world this year with that Pan Pac swim and she will be a favorite moving forward for the next two years for the Tokyo Olympics. Ikee is the 2018 Virtual World Champion ahead of Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom.

Ikee won by over a full second ahead of China’s Zhang Yufei (57.40) and Korea’s An Sehyeon (58.00). Zhang would be tied for sixth with Russia’s Svetlana Chimrova in the 100 fly this year with that time.

Ikee also ended China’s winning streak in this event as they have won seven of the last eight 100 fly gold medals at the Asian Games. Ikee is the first Japanese gold medalist in the event since Ayari Aoyama won in 1998.

An Sehyeon is also the first Korean swimmer to medal in the 100 fly ever at the Asian Games.

Rikako Ikee, JPN, 56.30, Games Record
Zhang Yufei, CHN, 57.40
An Sehyeon, KOR, 58.00
Ai Soma, JPN, 58.68
Lin Xintong, CHN, 58.82
Jing Quah, SIN, 58.93
Park Yerin, KOR, 59.57
Chan Kin Lok, HKG, 59.94

2018 Virtual World Championships

Rikako Ikee, JPN, 56.08, Pan Pacs
Sarah Sjostrom, SWE, 56.23, Europeans
Kelsi Dahlia, USA, 56.44, Pan Pacs
Emma McKeon, AUS, 56.54, Pan Pacs
Maddie Groves, AUS, 57.19, Commonwealth Games
Svetlana Chimrova, RUS, 57.40, Europeans
Zhang Yufei, CHN, 57.40, Asian Games
Penny Oleksiak, CAN, 57.50, Commonwealth Games

Men’s 400 Free

Sun Yang of China has consistently been one of the most consistent swimmers in the entire world. He has been up or near the top of the world rankings in the 200 and 400 frees since 2010 and in 2018 he is still the man to beat in the 400 free.

Sun swam a 3:42.92 on Tuesday night in Jakarta to become the number one swimmer in the world for that event for 2018 moving past Australia’s Mack Horton’s 3:43.76 from Commonwealth Games in April. Sun was off the Games Record of 3:41.53 by Park Tae Hwan of South Korea from 2010, but his time is good enough for the win and for the Virtual World title for 2018.

Sun was well out in front of the two Japanese swimmers as they were about four seconds back with Naito Ehara winning silver at 3:47.14 and Kosuke Hagino winning bronze at 3:47.20.

Ehara improved massively on his Pan Pac performance where he was a 3:48 earlier this month in Tokyo. His time here at the Asian Games moved him up to eighth in the Virtual World Championships.

Korea’s Lee Hojoon (3:48.28), China’s Li Xinjie (3:50.06), Vietnam’s Kim Nguyen (3:51.67), Jordan’s Khader Baqlah (3:52.77) and Indonesia’s Aflah Prawira (3:53.01) also swam in the final.

Sun won China its third gold medal in the 400 free at the Asian Games as he joins himself (2014) and Xie Jun (1986) as winners in the event for China. Sun is also just the third man to repeat in this event as he joins two Koreans Park Tae Hwan (2006, 2010) and Cho Oh-yun (1970, 1974) as repeat winners in the event.

Sun Yang, CHN, 3:42.92
Naito Ehara, JPN, 3:47.14
Kosuke Hagino, JPN, 3:47.20
Lee Hojoon, KOR, 3:48.28
Li Xinjie, CHN, 3:50.06
Kim Nguyen, VIE, 3:51.67
Khader Baqlah, JOR, 3:52.77
Aflah Prawira, INA, 3:53.01

2018 Virtual World Championships

Sun Yang, CHN, 3:42.92, Asian Games
Mack Horton, AUS, 3:43.76, Commonwealth Games
Jack McLoughlin, AUS, 3:44.20, Pan Pacs
Mykhailo Romanchuk, UKR, 3:45.18, Europeans
James Guy, GBR, 3:45.32, Commonwealth Games
Zane Grothe, USA, 3:45.37, Pan Pacs
Henrik Christiansen, NOR, 3:47.07, Europeans
Naito Ehara, JPN, 3:47.14, Asian Games

Women’s 4×200 Free Relay

China closed night three of the competition with a Games Record in the women’s 4×200 free relay with a 7:48.61 to lower the old record of 7:51.81 from 2010. Li Bingjie (1:56.94), Wang Jianjiahe (1:55.35), Zhang Yuhan (1:58.37) and Yang Junxuan (1:57.95) broke that record and put up the fourth fastest time of 2018, sitting behind Australia, the United States and Canada from the Pan Pacs.

China’s team was rather impressive because three of the swimmers are 16-years-old. Li, Wang and Yang are 16 while Zhang is 23. The Chinese quartet stayed undefeated at the Asian Games in this event as they have won every 4×200 free relay since it was first contested in 1998, winning six straight.

Japan finished in second place with the silver at 7:53.83. They were much faster at Pan Pacs with a 7:48.96, but Yui Ohashi swimming the third leg fell badly off pace with a 2:01.33 after she had the 400 IM earlier in the session. Chihiro Igarashi (1:57.69), Rikako Ikee (1:55.27), Ohashi and Rio Shirai (1:59.54) swam for the Japanese as they claimed their first relay silver of the meet. They had already won gold in the women’s 4×100 free and men’s 4×200 so far at this meet in Jakarta.

Hong Kong finished a distant third at 8:07.17 with Ho Nam Wai (2:02.12), Camille Cheng (2:00.85), Katii Tang (2:01.68) and Sze Hang Yu (2:02.52) swimming for them.

China, 7:48.61, Games Record (Li, Wang, Zhang, Yang)
Japan, 7:53.83 (Igarashi, Ikee, Ohashi, Shirai)
Hong Kong, 8:07.17 (Ho, Cheng, Tang, Sze)
South Korea, 8:14.36 (Choi, Kim, Ko, Han)
Singapore, 8:15.12 (Quah, Chue, Yeoh, Gan)
Indonesia, 8:21.51 (Krisdewanti, Dewi, Hapsari, Dewi)
Macau, 8:57.83 (Tan, Choi, Long, Vong)
Mongolia, 9:24.96 (Batbayar, Khuyagbaatar, Altanshagai, Erdene)

Virtual World Championships:

Australia, 7:44.12, Pan Pacs
United States, 7:44.37, Pan Pacs
Canada, 7:47.28, Pan Pacs
China, 7:48.61, Asian Games
Japan, 7:48.96, Pan Pacs
Great Britain, 7:51.65, Europeans
Russia, 7:52.87, Europeans
Germany, 7:53.76, Europeans

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use