Next Month’s Asian Games Will Feature Star-Studded Field
Now that the Commonwealth Games, European Championships and Pan Pacific Championships have concluded, attention shifts to next month and the Asian Games in Tokyo. The meet is scheduled for September 20-25 and will mark the last major regional competition of 2026, which does not feature a global long-course championship.
The Asian Games are held in high regard among participating nations and some of the top times in the world are expected to be produced during the six-day meet. While China sent a limited squad to the Pan Pacific Championships, it will enter action in Tokyo with a fully loaded team. In addition to Pan Zhanle, the reigning Olympic champion in the 100-meter freestyle, 13-year-old phenom Yu Zidi is expected to take on a multi-event program.
A pair of medalists from Pan Pacs will look to add to podium finishes at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre. Yu Yiting was the gold medalist in the 200 individual medley, clocking a championship record time of 2:07.45. She’ll be joined by Zhang Zhanshuo, who was the silver medalist in the 400 freestyle and the bronze medalist in the 200 freestyle.
The headliner for Japan will be Tomoyuki Matsushita, who doubled in the individual medley events at Pan Pacs. Matsushita was superb in Southern California, posting respective times of 1:56.02 and 4:06.75. Japan will also rely on Shin Ohashi, the world junior record holder in the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke.
Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey will be the favorite in the women’s 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle, events in which she owns multiple Olympic medals, and South Korea will send a strong squad that includes freestyle stars Kim Woo-min and Hwang Sun-woo.