The HardCoreSwim of the week this week goes across the world to Japan, and specifically to 12-year old Runa Imai. The youngest winner of the award so far, at last week’s Japanese Spring National Championships, she swam a 2:25.14 in the women’s 200 long course breaststroke.
Will she get any better? Who knows. History has mixed results on young dynamo breaststrokers. Even if she goes nothing but 2:25’s for the rest of her career though, she could be relevant in swimming for the next 20 years. As in, Olympic finals relevant. How hardcore is that swim? So hardcore that only 6 American 12 year olds have been faster this year…in yards.
That swim was spectacular, though this week we’ll also give a subordinated tip of the cap to one Tyler Clary in recognition of the Mesa Grand Prix that went down last weekend in Arizona. On day two of that meet, Clary won the 400 IM and the 200 backstroke, two of the most physically challenging races in the sport. In a meet that was being run with military-like efficiency, that left him no more than 30 minutes in between races.
The challenge, given how the races set up, would have been his legs. By the end of the 200, it was likely that even walking became quite a challenge. For a swimmer who works as hard as he does, though, this was just another routine training double, and he finished it with a very fast 1:58.13 in the 200 backstroke: a race in which he’s the defending Olympic Champion.
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2.25 for a 12-year-old girl! 😯
BK,
Runa Imai is japanese, she’s not from China
I keep watching over and over 200 back from London. Tyler’s backstroke technique is so much better than Lochte’s and even “technician” Irie’s. Tyler rotates shoulders less and pulls more shallow but deep enough. Loche pulls so hard his body bends towards the pulling arm too much. He tried too hard and run out of steam last 50m. Tyler’s stroke is exactly like a freestyle stroke. Elbow does not move backwards until catch and forearm pull are completed., Beautiful.
Tyler is having an AMAZING season so far! Very impressive…hats off to him indeed!
Yes, Runa Imai is Japanese.