2017 KONAMI OPEN
- Saturday, February 18th – Sunday, February 19th
- Tatsumi International Swimming Center, Tokyo, Japan
- Prelims at 9am local (7pm previous night EST)/Finals at 6pm local (4am EST)
- Meet Site
- Day 1 Recap
- Start Lists/Results (in Japanese)
After further cementing herself as Japan’s red-hot freestyle and butterfly sprinter yesterday, 16-year-old Rikako Ikee was at it again today in Tokyo, racing her way to 2 victories over just 10 minutes. Ikee fired off a super swift 50m butterfly win in 25.71, a new Konami Open meet record that sits just .21 outside of her own national mark. The teen then took on the women’s 100m freestyle, stopping the lock in a mighty 54.69. That’s off her own season-best of 53.68 from earlier this month that ranks as the 3rd fastest in the world, but still a solid swim from the teen who appears to simply have one speed – super fast.
Olympic medalists Daiya Seto and Masato Sakai were also both in action today in their specialty events, taking respective wins on the day. Seto scored the top prize in the men’s 200m IM race after clocking a speedy 4:11.37 in the 400m IM yesterday. Today, Seto touched in 1:59.65 for the victory, registering the only sub-2-minute outing of the field. For Sakai, he proved once again that he is Japan’s weapon of pool destruction in the 2fly, stopping the clock in a wicked-fast 1:54.72. That establishes a new Konami Open record for the Olympic silver medalist, but also represents the Waseda University student’s 2nd sub-1:55 time this season. He already owns the top time in the world with is 1:54.53 from last November’s Asian Swimming Championships.
2016-2017 LCM MEN 200 FLY
LE CLOS
1.53.33
| 2 | Masato SAKAI | JPN | 1.53.71 | 04/15 |
| 3 | Laszlo CSEH | HUN | 1.53.72 | 07/26 |
| 4 | Kristof MILAK | HUN | 1.53.79*WJR | 07/01 |
| 5 | Nao HOROMURA | JPN | 1.53.90 | 08/20 |
Additional wins on the day came from freestyle sprinting specialist Shinri Shioura, who followed up his 22.08-winning splash n’ dash from day 1 with a 100m freestyle win today. Shioura vanquished the field in the 100m event today, touching in 48.75 to win by over half of a second. Shioura now ties Scotland’s Duncan Scott for the top time in the world in the event.
2016-2017 LCM Men 100 FREE
DRESSELL
47.17
| 2 | Mehdy METELLA | FRA | 47.65 | 07/26 |
| 3 | Nathan ADRIAN | USA | 47.87 | 07/28 |
| 4 | Duncan SCOTT | GBR | 47.90 | 04/20 |
| 5 | Cameron McEVOY | AUS | 47.91 | 04/12 |
Sitting out the 200m breaststroke even this meet, the newly-minted world record holder in that race, Ippei Watanabe, stuck to the men’s 100m distance today. He notched a time of 59.99 for the win in Tokyo.
All of this racing points to a monster Asian Swimming Championships with perhaps record-breaking swims. Japan’s Olympic gold medalist Kosuke Hagino is set to return at the meet, which is slated for April.
I don’t want to sound pessimistic, but remember that Chad has gone under 1:54 only once since 2012 (2015) where it took the fastest last 50 m of a 200 fly ever to just barely break 1:53… I’m just using him as an example. Just because Sakai and Kenderesi are young and and fast in the 200 fly doesn’t mean they’re going to be breaking Phelps’s record or even winning the gold (though they both have really good chances). Remember how Agnel swam a 1:43.14 in the 200 free at London at the age of 20, then kept dropping until he was going 1:47 last year. Or Ye Shiwen… Now these two could end up going 1:52 (in a couple… Read more »
Spot on.
Progression isn’t one linear process for all. I swam my fastest 200 free at 15… Other events have progressed, but I have never quite swam a 200free as fast since. Still trying!
Agnel had a lot of injury after 2013 so it isn’t the right example..
However I still think that 200 fly will be the best race only because all those swimmer (Sakai, Kenderesi, Seto, Cseh, Le Clos) have different approach to the race – Cseh fast first 100, Kenderesi fast mid 100, Le Clos & Sakai fast last 50 – and none can predict who will win.
Other then that, the 200 usually reserve some surprise with young blood explode in the big events – maybe some Americans (Seliskar, Bentz, ecc..) or the chinese (Li Zhuhao) or even someone else – will put a show and shock the world.
Chad is dun
200 fly will be the best race to watch in Budapest.
I’m also excited for men’s and women’s 100 free. On the men’s side it will probably be McEvoy vs Chalmers vs Adrian vs Dressel but there are also wild cards like Condorelli, Morozov, Scott, etc. Women is Oleksiak vs Manuel, obviously, but Ikee could also challenge for the medals. And also the Campbells and Sjostrom?
Not sure why Dressel is consistently rated above Condorelli/Scott LCM in regards to ‘chances’. Both Condorelli & Scott placed higher in Rio and there isn’t an age advantage – Condorelli 1 year older, Scott 1 year younger.
I’d suggest both Condorelli & Scott, particularly Scott, have more potential left to unearth in regards to skills & meat on the bones. We shall see!
Well Dressel does have the fastest time out of the three of them (47.91) and didn’t he take some time off before Rio because of the pressure? Dressel has shown what he can do in short course, but he’s also shown that he has the endurance and the dedication to translate to long course. Dressel also shows outstanding consistency which makes me sort of trust him more, but he also gets more coverage than the others being a collegiate swimmer and all.
Condorelli needs to be able to swim 100 meters, not 75. If he can close faster he’ll be in the hunt for the medals.
Scott is a wild card to me and he’s only been big… Read more »
Condorelli went 47.88 in Rio.
Sorry, was checking his swimswam bio and it says 47.98 is his best time, my bad.
Do you take a faster time or a racer? Recent Olympic 100 free finals suggest to me that the racer prevails more often than not. That doesn’t mean Dressel isn’t a racer, he clearly is, but he was still beaten by both Scott/Condorelli in Rio and times count for precious little when there is a tenth of a second between the three.
The Japanese are raising the level of swimming on a constant & regular base – very impressive
Phelps left the 2pp fly b in good hands with Sakai and Kenderesi. I’m worried that Sakai may burm out though. Hopefully I’m wrong, I want to see a 1:52 this year and he has the best chance at doing so.
Sakai vs Kenderesi vs Le Clos in Budapest
vs Cseh
Great race in perspective
Good point. He swam the only sub 1:53 last year. My guess for the podium is Cseh, Kenderesi and Sakai in 200.