Sydney Open, Day One: Rikako Ikee And A Teenage Awesome Foursome Dominate Japan’s Night One Gold Rush

Sydney Open, Day One: Rikako Ikee And A Teenage Awesome Foursome Dominate Japan’s Night One Gold Rush

Japan’s inspirational triple Olympian Rikako Ikee and four likely teenagers have dominated the opening night of the 2026 Sydney Open and UniSport Nationals at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

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 Asaki Nishikawa, Mio Narita and  Tatsuya Murasa and 17-year-oldwhiz kid Shin Ohashi – winning five gold medals between them

The 25-year-old leukemia survivor Ikee, led home a Japanese 1-2 in the 50m butterfly clocking 25.98 to Ai Soma’s 26.07 with Claudia Fydler (University of Technology Sydney) third in 26.46.

Ikee hunting a place in the newly added event for LA28 – as she continues to target the 100m butterfly and 50 and 100m freestyle.

It was Nishikawa, fourth in the 400IM at last year’s Singapore World’s, who opened proceedings, comfortably winning the 400m freestyle in 3:47.18 from 21-year-old Noah Kamprad (Bond, QLD) 3:51.74 with 20-year-old teammate Tomoyuki Matsushita third in 3:54.90.

With all eyes on latest breaststroke sensation Ohashi and veteran Ippei Watanabe as they went head-to-head in the much-anticipated 200m breaststroke final.

Nothing separated the pair at the 100m mark with 29-year-old Watanabe touching in 1:03.17 to Ohashi’s 1:03.29.

But Ohasi, 12 years Watanabe junior, powered through the second 100m in 1:06.64, to Watanabe’s 1:09.03 – the youthful Ohasi prevailing to win in 2:09.93.

Watanabe finishing second in 2:12.20 and Queensland’s Finlay Schuster (Nudgee College) third in 2:15.18.

Tatsuya, the bronze medallist in the 200m freestyle at last year’s World’s, hung on to out-touch Australia’s Paris Olympian Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD), Tatsuya clocking 48.68 to Southam’s 48.76, with Ed Sommerville (QLD University of Technology) third in 49.20.

While in the women’s 400IM it was all Japan’s Mio Narita, the Paris Olympic finalist and World’s silver medallist winning in 4:43.00, from Lexi Harrison (Manly) 4:52.34 and Alannah Torrance (Monash University, VIC) third in 4:55.02.

2026 NSW Sydney Open And UniSport Nationals, Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, FINALS, DAY 1:

MEN

100m freestyle

1.  Tatsuya Murasa (Japan) 48.68
2. Flynn Southam (Bond, QLD) 48.76
3. Ed Sommerville (QLD University of Technology) 49.20

400m freestyle

1. Asaki Nishikawa (Japan)3:47.18
2. Noah Kamprad (Bond, QLD) 3:51.74
3. Tomoyuki Matsushita (Japan) 3:54.90

50m backstroke

1. Ben Armbruster (Bond, QLD) 25.46
2. Kalani Ireland (Somerville Aquatic, QLD) 25.57
3. Bradley Woodward (Mingara, NSW) 25.74

200m breaststroke

1. Shin Ohashi (Japan)2:09.93
2. Ippei Watanabe (Japan) 2: 12;20
3. Finlay Schuster (Nudgee College, QLD) 2:15.18

200m butterfly

1. Alex Quach (University of NSW 1:58.17
2. Harrison Turner (Nudgee College) 1:58.33
3. William Jordan (University of QLD) 2:00.95

WOMEN

100m freestyle

1. Hannah Casey (Bond, QLD) 54.56
2. Ainsley Trotter (Bond, QLD) 56.23
3. Victoria Catterson (Sydney University, NSW) 56.56

800m freestyle

1. Georgie Roper (Griffith University, QLD) 8:51.55
2. Sienna Deurloo (University of Southern QLD) 9:05.68
3. Charlotte Bowmer (Sydney University, NSW) 9:07.82

50m butterfly

1. Rikako Ikee (Japan) 25.98
2. Soma Ai (Japan) 26.07
3. Claudia Fydler (University of Technology Sydney) 26.46

50m breaststroke

1. Tilly King (Bond, QLD) 1:10.07
2. Isabella Johnson (Nudgee College, QLD) 1:10.90
3. Lilly McCowan (University of QLD) 1:11.53

400IM

1. Mio Narita (Japan) 4:43.00
2. Lexi Harrison (Manly) 4:52.34
3. Alannah Torrance (Monash University, VIC) 4:55.02

200m backstroke

1. Zoe Ammundsen (Nudgee College, QLD) 2:14.95
2. Eve Heijnen (University of QLD) 2:19.73
3. Madison Cooper (Deakin University, VIC) 2:19.95

MULTI DISABILITY

 Men

 200m freestyle

1. Callum Simpson (University of Sunshine Coast, QLD) 2:07.45
2. Jack Ireland (University of QLD) 1:57.54
3. Nicholas Layton (Monash University) 2:01.79

100m butterfly

1. Nicholas Layton (Monash University, VIC) 58.34
2. Lewis Bishop (Rackley, QLD) 1:03.51
3. Jarred Dyer (Dapto, NSW) 1:06.17

Women

200m freestyle

1. Chloe Osborn (Blacktown, NSW) 2:32.35
2. Lilly-Anne Gould (Griffith University, QLD) 2:21.05
3. Victoria Belando-Nicholson (University of QLD) 2:23.44

100m butterfly

1. Sarah Howe (Griffith University, QLD) 1:12.03
2. Annabelle Moloney (Cotton Tree, QLD) 1:15.87
3. Lilly-Anne Gould (Griffith University Swim Club, QLD) 1:22.69