SWIMMING AT THE 2018 ASIAN GAMES
- August 19th-24th, 2018
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Schedule & Results
The 2018 Asian Games have wrapped up, symbolizing the final elite long course international competition of 2018. Sun Yang, Rikako Ikee, Wang Jiahie, Xu Jiayu, Jospeh Schooling and several others collected multiple wins in Jakarta, Indonesia, while also shaking up the world rankings.
With the Commonwealth Games, European Championships, Pan Pacific Championships and now the Asian Games all having concluded, we can see where the Asian powerhouses now fall among the world’s best, previewing battles to take place at next year’s long course World Championships.
Below are the Asian swimmers cracking the world’s top 20 in their respective events.
(Note – I am not including earlier season-bests that are already ranked, but instead including simply NEW entries in the 2018 rankings.)
Women’s Events
- Zhu Menghui (CHN), 14th in women’s 100 freestyle (53.56)
- Li Bingjie (CHN), 4th in women’s 1500 freestyle (15:53.80); 11th in women’s 200 freestyle (1:56.74); 17th in women’s 800 freestyle (8:28.14);
- Liu Xiang (CHN), 1st in women’s 50 backstroke (26.98** WORLD RECORD)
- Liu Yaxin (CHN), 11th in women’s 200 backstroke (2:07.65)
- Natsumi Sakai (JPN), 12th in women’s 200 backstroke (2:08.13)
- Satomi Suzuki (JPN), 9th in women’s 100 breaststroke (1:06.40)
- Yu Jingyao (CHN), 10th in the women’s 200 breaststroke (2:23.31)
- Wang Yichun (CHN), 15th in the women’s 50 butterfly (26.03)
- Zhang Yufei (CHN), 9th in women’s 100 butterfly (57.40); 3rd in women’s 200 butterfly (2:06.61)
- Kim Seoyeong (KOR), 3rd in women’s 200 IM (2:08.34); 12th in women’s 400 IM (4:37.43)
- Zhou Min (CHN), 19th in women’s 200 IM (2:11.42)
Men’s Events
- Sun Yang (CHN), 3rd in men’s 200 freestyle (1:45.43); 1st in men’s 400 freestyle (3:42.92); 8th in men’s 800 freestyle (7:48.36); 15th in men’s 1500 freestyle (14:58.53)
- Kosuke Hagino (JPN), 20th in men’s 400 freestyle (3:47.20); 4th in men’s 400 IM (4:10.30)
- Shogo Takeda (JPN), 18th in men’s 800 freestyle (7:53.01)
- Nguyen Huy Hoang (VIE), 18th in men’s 1500 freestyle (15:01.63)
- Xu Jiayu (CHN), 2nd in men’s 100 backstroke (52.34); 3rd in men’s 200 backstroke (1:53.99)
- Ryosuke Irie (JPN), 4th in men’s 100 backstroke (52.53); 4th in men’s 200 backstroke (1:55.11)
- Keita Sunama (JPN), 6th in men’s 200 backstroke (1:55.54)
- Dmitriy Balandin (KAZ), 13th in men’s 100 breaststroke (59.39)
- Yasuhiro Koseki (JPN), 4th in men’s 200 breaststroke (2:07.81);
- Qin Haiyang (CHN), 10th in the men’s 200 breaststroke (2:08.07); 8th in men’s 200 IM (1:57.09)
- Joseph Schooling (SNG), 5th in men’s 100 butterfly (51.04)
- Li Zhuhao (CHN), 9th in men’s 100 butterfly (51.46)
- Wang Shun (CHN), 4th in men’s 200 IM (1:56.52); 7th in men’s 400 IM (4:12.31)
- Daiya Seto (JPN), 2nd in men’s 400 IM (4:08.79)
All Relays
- Team China, 1st in men’s 4 x 100 medley relay (3:29.99)
- Team Japan, 2nd in men’s 4 x 100 medley relay (3:30.03)
Isn’t Sun’s 800 #1?
Nevermind, I had to double take that. Not even top 5 shocked me, still a good swim and obviously the best 400 swimmer in the world right now
I’m pretty sure that Kim Seoyeong is the highest ranked Korean female swimmer ever. An Sehyeon was ranked 4 or 5 last year. Huge strides for South Korean swimming.
I know that North and South Korea competed as a unified team in Jakarta. Were there any North Korean swimmers on the team?
South and North Korea only sent unified team for 3 sports: Dragon Boat, Rowing, and women’s Basketball.
For other sports they sent separate team.
Qin Haiyang was 2.08.07 in the 200 breast, not 2.23
Corrected, thanks!
If to measure all swimming races at these Asian Games by uniqueness then only three of them deserves the attention.
1.The world record in W50BK. A world record is by definition unique. Especially this one that made the suit record in this event a history.
2. Li Binhjie’s finish in 1500 race. Nobody before who has swum 1500 distance under 16 min was able to swim last 100 at 58.2sec and especially finishing the race with 27.8. To comprehend how fast it is compare it with the speed of gold medal winner in 50 free Ikee Ricaco should she made a start from the water. The advantage would be barely more than a body length. I don’t see… Read more »
you have a good point for #2. That last 50 (27.81) is only 0.16s slower than her opening 50 for the 200m free, and 0.19s faster than her opening 50 in the 400. In fact, her 1500 swim is amazing! The 800 split (8:27.68) is faster than her silver medal 800m swim (8:28.14). Her last 800 is 8:30.13 will allow her to keep her silver in the 800m race.
Starting a race from the block gives a swimmer at least 1.5 sec advantage compare to start after flip turn. So her last fifty at 1500 was significantly faster than her opening fifty in 200 race.
Kim Seoyeong certainly deserves attention. She won the 200 IM.
What is special about her is she is one of the top IMers that excel in backstroke. Most top IMers are good at breaststroke, very few are good at backstroke. Hosszu is one of them, Kim is another. Comparing her time with Hosszu’s world record: 27.3(+0.01), 31.64(+0.42), 36.7(+1.53), 30.48(+0.26). She is not as good as Hosszu at breaststroke but she is very close to Hosszu at others. She is the one to watch to see if she can break Hosszu’s record.
Sun’s 1,500 interesting. Not even close to the world best, but sub-15, which he wasn’t in shape for last couple of years.
He also didn’t throw the towel in when someone pushed him, but hung with them and unleashed his sprint (which is probably what he’d have do to beat the Europeans). Shows greater maturity.
Did the Japanese Breaststroker Koseki really do a 4:10.30 in the 400 IM? Wasn’t that Hagino’s time?
Hagino; I had this written on wrong line, thanks!
Where is Ikee and Wang Jianjiahe’s rankings?
(Note – I am not including earlier season-bests that are already ranked, but instead including simply NEW entries in the 2018 rankings.)
2018 World Rankings Outlook?
Sorry, I understand now.