Miki Uchida Breaks 13-Year-Old 50 Free Record On Day 1 of Japan Intercollegiate Championships

KANAGAWA, Japan, September 5. MIKI Uchida kicked off the Japan Intercollegiate Championships by breaking the oldest long course Japanese record, while Kosuke Hagino showed off some sprinting speed in relay action.

Uchida blasted through the 50 freestyle with a 25.02, breaking the national record of 25.14 that Sumika Minamoto had held since April 2001. Though it’s the fastest time in history by a Japanese woman, it’s still five tenths off the Asian record of 24.51 by China’s Le Jingyi from the 1994 world championships. That time by Le had stood as the world record for almost six years.

Uchida’s time puts her just 30th in the 2014 world rankings, but she does stand as the fastest Asian woman in the event this year heading into the Asian Games later this month. Aya Sato and Rino Hosoda tied for second place well behind Uchida’s record swim with matching times of 25.72.

Also of note in today’s finals was the 48.75 leadoff swim for Kosuke Hagino in the 400 freestyle relay for the Toyo University’s fifth-place team. While not a time that puts the two-time Pan Pacific champion in the top 20 world ranking, it puts Takuro Fujii’s national record of 48.49 on notice. It’s likely that Hagino’s swim put him in the mix for Japan’s 400 free relay at the Asian Games. Hagino’s 50-meter split was 23.70.

Tada Kuninori took the men’s 200 back title in 1:6.86, shattering his season best by two seconds and moving up to 14th in the world rankings. It’s still well behind the swims posted by Rysouke Irie (1:53.91) and Kosuke Hagino (1:54.23) that stand as the two fastest times in 2014, but jumps him ahead of Hayate Matubara to make him the third-fastest Japanese man in the event this year. Keita Sunama also improved on his season best by a second with a 1:57.44 for the silver medal. Yamazaki Takashi placed third with a 1:58.86.

Photo Courtesy: Tobiuo Japan

Masato Sakai, who already stands fourth in the world in the men’s 200 fly with a 1:55.15, nearly beat that time today with a 1:55.50 to win the event. Kenta Hirai, who sits fifth in the world with a 1:55.27, placed second with a 1:55.91. Masafumi Osaka was third with a 1:57.62, beating his season best by two tenths.

Yuki Kobori, fresh off a trip to the Pan Pacific championships where he helped Japan win silver in the 800 free relay, set a meet record in the men’s 400 free today with a 3:47.59. That’s good enough to get him 19th in the world standings.

Photo Courtesy: Tobiuo Japan

Sayaka Akase, the eighth-ranked swimmer in the women’s 200 back with a 2:08.76, won the event today with a 2:09.47 as she prepares for a possible gold medal in the event at the Asian Games in three weeks. Yuka Kawayoke took second with a 2:10.51, while Antel Yamashita finished third with a 2:11.87.

Yai Watanabe improved on her season best in the women’s 200 fly with a winning time of 2:09.56, beating the 2:10.19 she posted at the Japanese nationals in April. Nao Kobayashi and Yuna Kikuchi battled for second place, with Koboyashi getting the silver with a 2:10.13 to Kikuchi’s 2:10.76.

Photo Courtesy: Tobiuo Japan

Katsu Nakamura took the men’s 50 freestyle with a 22.36, while Jin Uchida placed second with a 22.78 and Hiroshi Matsui was third with a 22.82.

Photo Courtesy: Tobiuo Japan

Mari Wada won the women’s 400 free with a 4:11.34, holding off Aya Takano, who was second with a 4:11.64. Chita Asami placed third with a 4:12.36.

Miku Kanasashi won the women’s 100 breast with a 1:07.99, less than a tenth of a second off her season best. Maya Hamano, who is tied with Kanasashi for 29th in the world rankings with a 1:07.86, was second with a 1:08.05, while Keiko Fukutome placed third with a 1:08.61.

The top three in the men’s 100 breaststroke were separated by less than two tenths of a second. Kazuki Kohinata won with a 1:00.72, with Yoshiki Yamanaka (1:00.82) and Hiroshi Yamaguchi (1:00.85) not far behind.

RESULTS

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