{"id":643403,"date":"2026-05-15T05:31:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T12:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=643403"},"modified":"2026-05-15T05:31:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T12:31:32","slug":"sydney-open-day-one-rikako-ikee-and-a-teenage-awesome-foursome-dominate-japans-night-one-gold-rush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/sydney-open-day-one-rikako-ikee-and-a-teenage-awesome-foursome-dominate-japans-night-one-gold-rush\/","title":{"rendered":"Sydney Open, Day One: Rikako Ikee And A Teenage Awesome Foursome Dominate Japan\u2019s Night One Gold Rush"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Sydney Open, Day One: Rikako Ikee And A Teenage Awesome Foursome Dominate Japan\u2019s Night One Gold Rush<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Japan\u2019s inspirational triple Olympian <strong>Rikako Ikee <\/strong>and four likely teenagers have dominated the opening night of the 2026 Sydney Open and UniSport Nationals at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ikee showing why she has a fourth Olympics in her sights in LA alongside the new breed of Japanese swimmers led by 19-year-old trio <strong>Asaki Nishikawa<\/strong>, <strong>Mio Narita <\/strong>and<strong>\u00a0 Tatsuya Murasa <\/strong>and 17-year-oldwhiz kid <strong>Shin Ohashi \u2013 <\/strong>winning five gold medals between them<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 25-year-old leukemia survivor Ikee, led home a Japanese 1-2 in the 50m butterfly clocking 25.98 to <strong>Ai Soma&#8217;<\/strong>s 26.07 with <strong>Claudia Fydler<\/strong> (University of Technology Sydney) third in 26.46.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ikee hunting a place in the newly added event for LA28 \u2013 as she continues to target the 100m butterfly and 50 and 100m freestyle.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was <strong>Nishikawa<\/strong>, fourth in the 400IM at last year\u2019s Singapore World\u2019s<strong>, <\/strong>who opened proceedings, comfortably winning the 400m freestyle in 3:47.18 from 21-year-old<strong> Noah Kamprad<\/strong> (Bond, QLD) 3:51.74 with 20-year-old teammate <strong>Tomoyuki Matsushita<\/strong> third in 3:54.90.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With all eyes on latest breaststroke sensation Ohashi and veteran <strong>Ippei Watanabe<\/strong> as they went head-to-head in the much-anticipated 200m breaststroke final.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nothing separated the pair at the 100m mark with 29-year-old Watanabe touching in 1:03.17 to Ohashi\u2019s 1:03.29.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But Ohasi, 12 years Watanabe junior, powered through the second 100m in 1:06.64, to Watanabe\u2019s 1:09.03 \u2013 the youthful Ohasi prevailing to win in 2:09.93.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Watanabe finishing second in 2:12.20 and Queensland\u2019s <strong>Finlay Schuster<\/strong> (Nudgee College) third in 2:15.18.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tatsuya, the bronze medallist in the 200m freestyle at last year\u2019s World\u2019s, hung on to out-touch Australia\u2019s Paris Olympian <strong>Flynn Southam<\/strong> (Bond, QLD), Tatsuya clocking 48.68 to Southam\u2019s 48.76, with<strong> Ed Sommerville <\/strong>(QLD University of Technology) third in 49.20.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While in the women\u2019s 400IM it was all Japan\u2019s <strong>Mio Narita<\/strong>, the Paris Olympic finalist and World\u2019s silver medallist winning in 4:43.00<strong>, <\/strong>from <strong>Lexi Harrison<\/strong> (Manly) 4:52.34 and<strong> Alannah Torrance <\/strong>(Monash University, VIC) third in 4:55.02.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>2026 NSW Sydney Open And UniSport Nationals, Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, FINALS, DAY 1:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>MEN<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>100m freestyle<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\u00a0Tatsuya Murasa (Japan) 48.68<\/li>\n<li>Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) 48.76<\/li>\n<li>Ed Sommerville (QLD University of Technology) 49.20<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>400m freestyle<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Asaki Nishikawa (Japan)3:47.18<\/li>\n<li>Noah Kamprad (Bond, QLD) 3:51.74<\/li>\n<li>Tomoyuki Matsushita (Japan) 3:54.90<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>50m backstroke<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Ben Armbruster (Bond, QLD) 25.46<\/li>\n<li>Kalani Ireland (Somerville Aquatic, QLD) 25.57<\/li>\n<li>Bradley Woodward (Mingara, NSW) 25.74<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>200m breaststroke <\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Shin Ohashi (Japan)2:09.93<\/li>\n<li>Ippei Watanabe (Japan) 2: 12;20<\/li>\n<li>Finlay Schuster (Nudgee College, QLD) 2:15.18<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>200m butterfly<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Alex Quach (University of NSW 1:58.17<\/li>\n<li>Harrison Turner (Nudgee College) 1:58.33<\/li>\n<li>William Jordan (University of QLD) 2:00.95<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>WOMEN<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>100m freestyle<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Hannah Casey (Bond, QLD) 54.56<\/li>\n<li>Ainsley Trotter (Bond, QLD) 56.23<\/li>\n<li>Victoria Catterson (Sydney University, NSW) 56.56<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>800m freestyle<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Georgie Roper (Griffith University, QLD) 8:51.55<\/li>\n<li>Sienna Deurloo (University of Southern QLD) 9:05.68<\/li>\n<li>Charlotte Bowmer (Sydney University, NSW) 9:07.82<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>50m butterfly<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Rikako Ikee (Japan) 25.98<\/li>\n<li>Soma Ai (Japan) 26.07<\/li>\n<li>Claudia Fydler (University of Technology Sydney) 26.46<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>50m breaststroke<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Tilly King (Bond, QLD) 1:10.07<\/li>\n<li>Isabella Johnson (Nudgee College, QLD) 1:10.90<\/li>\n<li>Lilly McCowan (University of QLD) 1:11.53<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>400IM<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Mio Narita (Japan) 4:43.00<\/li>\n<li>Lexi Harrison (Manly) 4:52.34<\/li>\n<li>Alannah Torrance (Monash University, VIC) 4:55.02<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>200m backstroke<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Zoe Ammundsen (Nudgee College, QLD) 2:14.95<\/li>\n<li>Eve Heijnen (University of QLD) 2:19.73<\/li>\n<li>Madison Cooper (Deakin University, VIC) 2:19.95<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>MULTI DISABILITY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Men<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>200m freestyle<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Callum Simpson (University of Sunshine Coast, QLD) 2:07.45<\/li>\n<li>Jack Ireland (University of QLD) 1:57.54<\/li>\n<li>Nicholas Layton (Monash University) 2:01.79<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>100m butterfly<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Nicholas Layton (Monash University, VIC) 58.34<\/li>\n<li>Lewis Bishop (Rackley, QLD) 1:03.51<\/li>\n<li>Jarred Dyer (Dapto, NSW) 1:06.17<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Women<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>200m freestyle<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Chloe Osborn (Blacktown, NSW) 2:32.35<\/li>\n<li>Lilly-Anne Gould (Griffith University, QLD) 2:21.05<\/li>\n<li>Victoria Belando-Nicholson (University of QLD) 2:23.44<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>100m butterfly<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Sarah Howe (Griffith University, QLD) 1:12.03<\/li>\n<li>Annabelle Moloney (Cotton Tree, QLD) 1:15.87<\/li>\n<li>Lilly-Anne Gould (Griffith University Swim Club, QLD) 1:22.69<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sydney Open, Day One: Rikako Ikee And A Teenage Awesome Foursome Dominate Japan\u2019s Night One Gold Rush Japan\u2019s inspirational triple Olympian Rikako Ikee and four likely teenagers have dominated 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