RECORD BREAKER. Japan's Minami Yui (center) clocks 2:02.27 to win the girls’ 12-14 200m freestyle event of the 11th Asian Age Group Championships at the New Clark City Aquatics Center in Capas, Tarlac on Monday (Feb. 26, 2024). She erased the 2:03.50 time set by compatriot Maho Takiguchi in 2009. Also in photo are silver medalist Haruno Tanimoto of Japan (left) and bronze medalist Thuy Hien Nguyen of Vietnam. (AAGC photo)
CAPAS, Tarlac – Japan delivered a stunning performance in the 11th Asian Age Group Championships, breaking nine meet records on the way to claiming 10 gold medals at the New Clark City Aquatics Center here on Monday night.
Yumeki Kojima ruled the boys’ 15-17 200m Individual Medley (IM) in 1:01.13 to improve the previous record of compatriot Hagino Kasuke (2:01.32) set in 2009.
Vietnamese Quang Thuan Nguyen (2:04.79) and Japanese Raito Numata (2:05.98) finished second and third, respectively.
Kojima joined Iyu Matsuyama, Raito Numata, and Hirata Ando in the 400m freestyle relay event, which they won with a record-breaking time of 3:25.32. Ando had earlier topped the 400m freestyle.
In the 12-14 category, Shin Ohashi, Toya Hirata, Minami Yui, and Mana Ishikawa won two gold medals each, and Misaki Kasahara got one.
Ohashi won the 100m breaststroke in 1:02.69 to better the record of fellow Japanese Yamato Okadome (1:04.55), while Hirata topped the 50m backstroke in 26.31 to erase the record of compatriot Ryu Hiroki (27.34) in the boys’ division.
The 400m freestyle relay team of Ohashi, Hirata, Yusei Nishiono, and Iori Miyasaki also grabbed the gold medal in 3:33.67, shattering the 3:34.60 record of Japan in 2019.
In the girls’ division, Yui clocked 2:02.27 to win the 200m freestyle, improving the 2:03.50 mark of Japanese Maho Takiguchi, while Ishikawa secured the 200m IM gold medal with a time of 2:15.83, smashing Chinese Yin Jiahe’s record of 2:17.52.
The 400m freestyle relay team of Yui, Ishikawa, Rei Nakano, and Haruno Tanimoto clocked 3:50.22 to break the 3:50.80 record also set by Japan in 2009.
Kasahara erased the record of Chinese Wang Xingyun (29.20) in the 50m backstroke with her 29.07 performance.
Meanwhile, India’s Srihari Nataraj won the 18 and over 200m freestyle in 1:49.72 to improve the 1:50.14 record of compatriot Virdhawal Khade. He collected his second gold medal in the 50m backstroke.
Thailand’s Kamonchanok Kwanmuang became the tournament’s first triple-gold winner after ruling the women’s 200m freestyle, 200m IM, and 800m freestyle in the 18 and over category.
The other gold medalists were Vietnam’s Thanh Bao Pham (men’s 100m breaststroke), Hung Nguyen Tran (men’s 200 IM) and Huy Hoang Nguyen (men’s 800m freestyle), and Kazakhstan’s Adelaida Pchelintzeva (women’s 100m breaststroke), and Xineya Ignatova (50m backstroke) in the 18 and over category; Hong Kong’s Sai Ting Adam (boys 100m breaststroke), Malia Ma (girls 200m IM) and Gilaine Ma (girls 400m freestyle), Kazakhstan’s Yegor Popov (boys 50m backstroke), Macau’s Pui Lam Chen (girls 100m breaststroke) and Chinese Taipei’s Pei Hsuan Li (girls 50 backstroke) in the 15-17 category; and Hong Kong’s Wui Kiu Man (girls’ 100m breaststroke), Vietnam’s Van Hoang Quy Duong (boys’ 200m IM), and Chinese Taipei’s Yung-Cheng Kan (boys’ 200m freestyle) in the 12-14 category.
The country's best effort on opening day was fourth place in the girls’ 15-17 400m freestyle by Heather White and the boys’ 12-14 50m backstroke and 200m IM by Jamesray Michael Ajido. (PNA)
