Tomoyuki Matsushita Dazzles in 400 IM at Japan Swim; Yumeki Kojima Cracks Another WJR
The days of the Japanese excellence in the 400-meter individual medley are alive and well, as the final day of the Japan Swim demonstrated. In the final event of the men’s program, three athletes clocked under 4:09, led by Tomoyuki Matsushita in a sensational mark of 4:06.93. Matsushita was followed by Yumeki Kojima (4:08.84) and Asaki Nishikawa (4:08.87), with Kojima’s time good for his second world junior record of the meet.
The recent tradition established by Kosuke Hagino and Daiya Seto in the 400 IM is certainly being upheld by this current contingent of stars in the event. Matsushita, the reigning Olympic silver medalist, made his inaugural trip under 4:07 and bettered his previous lifetime best of 4:07.21. The difference for Matsushita was a spectacular freestyle split of 55.96, which enabled him to pull away over the last 100 meters.
The battle for second place went down to the final stroke, and it was Kojima who grabbed second place with a world junior record. Coming off a WJR in the 200 IM, Kojima improved his prior standard of 4:09.38, set last year in high school competition. By edging Nishikawa, Kojima earned the right to represent Japan in the 400 IM at the Pan Pacific Championships and Asian Games.
Producing a time of 8:23.11, Ichika Kajimoto erased a 21-year-old national record in the 800 freestyle. Kajimoto recorded a seven-second victory and bettered the 8:23.68 of Sachiko Yamada from the 2004 season. On Day Two of the meet, Kajimoto went under the 16-minute barrier in the 1500 freestyle to easily prevail. That national record wasn’t the only one of the session, as Kaito Tabuchi went 14:45.57 to clobber the former standard of 14:50.18, set by Kazushi Imafuku last year. Imafuku was second on Sunday night, going 14:52.45.
Satomi Suzuki, the 35-year-old veteran, added the 50 breaststroke crown to her prior win in the 100 breaststroke. In the one-lap sprint, Suzuki went 30.32 to win by .77. In the women’s 50 freestyle. Rikako Ikee won in 24.89, the only effort under 25 seconds.
In other action, Shuya Matsumoto won the men’s 50 freestyle in 21.89 while Shoon Mitsunaga edged Katsuhiro Matsumoto in the 100 butterfly, 51.32 to 51.35. There was a tie in the men’s 50 backstroke as Reo Miura and Riku Matsuyama each touched in 25.13.
