Tomoyuki Matsushita Headlines 200 IM at Japan Swim; Yamato Fukasawa Wins Quick 200 Breaststroke
One of the few highlights for Japan at last summer’s Olympic Games in Paris was the silver medal performance by Tomoyuki Matsushita in the 400 individual medley. An 18-year-old at the time of the Games, Matsushita breathed life into the future of the medley events for Japan, and this weekend, he showed again why his future is bright.
Racing at the Japan Swim, Matsushita, now 19, won the 200 individual medley on Saturday night, posting a winning time of 1:56.35. Matsushita led seven swimmers under the 1:59 mark, with Kosuke Makino securing second place in 1:56.80. Both Matsushita and Makino are expected to represent Japan at this summer’s World Championships in Singapore.
The men’s 200 breaststroke featured a superb three-way battle, as three men dipped under the 2:08 barrier, led by Yamato Fukasawa and his winning mark of 2:07.47. Fukasawa led wire to wire, and was followed to the wall by Ippei Watanabe (2:07.64) and Yu Hanaguruma (2:07.93).
Satomi Suzuki followed up her triumph in the 100 breaststroke with a win in the 200 breaststroke, thanks to a swim of 2:23.98. That effort handed Suzuki, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist in the event, a narrow margin over runnerup Kotomi Kato (2:24.24).
In the men’s 100 freestyle, Katsuhiro Matsumoto emerged on top of the field with a mark of 48.36, quicker than the Japanese high school record produced by Tatsuya Murasa (48.75), who was the winner of the 200 freestyle during Friday’s action.
Rikako Ikee was first to the wall in the women’s 50 butterfly, going 25.41.
Other winners included:
Women’s 100 Freestyle: Nagisa Ikemoto (54.52)
Men’s 200 Backstroke: Hidekazu Takehara (1:56.11)
Women’s 200 Backstroke: Mio Narita (2:10.26)
