Ning Zetao Nearly Lezaks Japan With Scorching Anchor Leg

TIANJIN, China, October 12. IT took until the final race of the night before some serious fireworks occurred at the East Asian Games, but China’s Ning Zetao delivered with a blistering anchor leg in the men’s 400-meter free relay.

It wasn’t as fast as his 10th-ranked 24.76 from Worlds, but China’s Sun Xiaolei certainly owned the top time this evening in the men’s 50-meter back with a 25.19. Teammate Cheng Feiyi snared second-place honors in 25.27, while Japan’s Junya Hasegawa finished third in 25.64.

China went 1-2 in the women’s 200-meter free as Qiu Yuhan raced to a 1:57.75 to capture nearly a two-second triumph. Compatriot Guo Junjun wound up second in 1:59.49, while Hong Kong’s Siobhan Bernadette Haughey checked in with a third-place time of 1:59.77 to round out the sub-2:00 performances this evening.

China’s Lu Ying, who ranks third in the world with a 57.04 from the Chinese National Games, did just enough for victory tonight in the women’s 100-meter fly as she posted a 58.29 for the win. Japan’s Yuka Kato took second in 58.38, while Nao Kobayashi hit the wall third in 59.20. Korea’s Sehyeon An nearly made a push for the podium with a fourth-place time of 59.23.

The Japanese Fujimoris pocketed the top two swims in the men’s 400-meter IM. Hiromasa clocked a 4:14.44 for the win in the distance medley, while Takeharu checked in with a 4:15.80 for silver. China’s Liu Weijia rounded out the podium with a third-place 4:18.03.

In an exciting finish, Japan’s Mio Motegi held off a hard-charging Shi Jinglin of China in the women’s 100-meter breast, 1:08.54 to 1:08.90. Japan’s Runa Imai ended up taking third in the finale with a 1:09.08 as Japan battled against what has been a Chinese women’s supremacy thus far.

China’s Mao Feilian turned on the afterburners with a 33.03 down the stretch to overtake the field and win the men’s 200-meter breaststroke in 2:10.85. Japan’s Takaaki Okawa (2:11.53) and Yasuhiro Koseki (2:12.83) finished second and third. Koseki had led at the 150 with a 1:37.25 but faded badly down the final 50 with a 35.58 final split.

Japan’s Yuki Kawachi (49.39), Makoto Itio (49.62), Tasayuki Minari (49.45) and Katsumi Nakamura (48.36) took home the men’s 400-meter free relay title in 3:16.82, just nipping China in an extremely exciting finale.

Chinese national record holder in the 100 free, Ning Zetao, who turned heads this year with some seriously strong times, nearly Lezaked the Japanese. He entered the water almost a full second behind Japan then threw down a vicious 47.44 anchor leg as China’s Lu Zhiwu (49.72), Shi Tengfei (49.85), Liu Junwu (49.84) and Ning (47.44) collected silver in 3:16.85.

Hong Kong’s Derick Ng (50.99), Geoffrey Cheah (49.15), Kent Cheung (51.05) and David Wong (51.83) finished third overall in a time of 3:23.02.

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