Performance Of The Week: Rie Kaneto’s 200 Breaststroke

Between Cameron McEvoy’s 47.56 in the 100 freestyle and Marco Koch posting a 2:07 200 breaststroke (for the second week in a row), there was no shortage of standout swims this week. But this week’s Swimming World Performance of the Week goes to a swim that, while it may have slipped under your radar, has major implications on the record book and medal predictions for this summer. Oh, and was also still really, really fast.

At the Aquatic Super Series in Perth, Australia, Japanese breaststroker Rie Kaneto turned heads with her win in the 200 breaststroke, touching the wall in 2:20.04. That swim broke her own Japanese national record set during the supersuit era of 2009 (2:20.74) and also set an new Australian All-Comers record. Kaneto was named Female Swimmer of the Meet after her performance.

With that swim, Kaneto now sits less than a second off of the world record of 2:19.11 set by Denmark’s Rikke Pederson in 2013, and also moves up to become the fifth fastest performer all time in the event. Kaneto’s last international medal came in 2014 at the Pan Pacific Championships, where she finished in 2:21.90 to earn a silver medal. Kaneto finished sixth in the 200 breaststroke at Worlds last summer, while her teammate Kanako Wantanabe finished first. Kaneto’s time from this weekend vaults her to first in the world rankings this year, which suddenly makes her the breaststroker to watch as we move toward the Olympic Games in Rio.

Congratulations Rie Kaneto for earning the Swimming World Performance of the Week!

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