Japan Swim: Yamato Okadome Sets Pair of Best Times
Yamato Okadome set a pair of best times in breaststroke to start the Japan Swim 2026 meet in Tokyo.
Okadome won the 100 breast on the first day of the meet on Thursday by going 59.11. That allowed him to outduel national record holder Shin Ohashi, who went 59.18. Taku Taniguchi was third in 59.41.
Okadome, an NCAA champion at Cal this year, held a previous best of 1:00.21 from the French Elite Championships in 2025.
Okadome finished third in the 50 breast. His prelims time of 26.76, though, was the fastest of the meet and knocked more than a quarter-second off his best. The final went to Taka Taniguchi in 26.84, with Ohashi again second in 27.01 and Okadome third in 27.03.
Mira Sasaki started the four-day meet with a pair of backstroke wins. She went 1:00.25 to win the 100 on Thursday, just .12 seconds ahead of Rio Shirai. On Friday, Sasaki’s 28.03 was four tenths clear of the field, with Yuara Sonobe second.
Satomi Suzuki approached a best time in the women’s 100 breast at age 35. She won the race in 1:05.87. That’s seven tenths off Reona Aoki’s national record and near Suzuki’s career-best of 1:05.55.
Teenager Raito Numata had a strong opening two days. The 17-year-old won the 400 free on Thursday in 3:46.11 out of Lane 1, having finished seventh in prelims. Asaki Nishikawa was second in 3:47.10.
Numata was third in the 200 free on Friday with another best time of 1:46.73. Tatsuya Murasa won that race in 1:45.65, with Katsuhiro Matsumoto second in 1:46.43.
Mio Narita won the women’s 200 individual medley by more than a second and a half, her time 2:10.25. Five women broke two minutes in the 200 free, with the win going to Rio Suzuki in 1:59.13. Third was Waka Kobori, who was second to Ichika Kajimoto’s 4:08.14 in the 400 free.
In the 100 fly, Mizuki Hirai oudueled Rikako Ikee for the win, going 57.60 to Ikee’s 58.11.
Taikan Tanaka and Shoon Mitsunaga tied for the title in the men’s 50 fly on Thursday, both clocking in at 23.28. They were .08 ahead of Tomonobu Gomi. Hidekazu Takehara won the 100 back in 53.85, .14 ahead of Yumeki Kojima. Yoshitoku Narushima went 1:55.03 to edge a crowded field in the men’s 200 fly, and Hiroko Makino’s 2:08.17 did the same in the women’s race.