NCAA Champion Okadome Rips 59.44, Then 59.11 For First 100 Breast Outings Ever Underneath 1:00

102nd JAPAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 102nd Japan Swimming Championships noticed motion get underway immediately from the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, with swimmers vying for potential remaining slots on the nation’s roster for this yr’s Pan Pacific Championships.

One of the racing highlights of the night got here within the males’s 100m breaststroke closing, the place 5 athletes managed to dip underneath the minute barrier on their quest to get to the rostrum.

Touching first was 20-year-old Yamato Okadome, the Cal Bear who scorched a brand new lifetime finest en path to gold.

Okadome fired off a mark of 59.11 to narrowly defeat 17-year-old prodigy Shin Ohashi, with the two-time World Junior report holder Ohashi settling for silver simply .07 behind in 59.18.

Taku Taniguchi secured the bronze in 59.41, whereas Reo Okura and Yusei Imaizumi additionally cleared the minute threshold as they tied for 4th place in 59.90.

Entering this competitors, Okadome’s lifetime finest on this occasion rested on the 1:00.21 he established whereas competing finally yr’s French Elite Championships. At final week’s Pro Swim, he turned in a within-range results of 1:00.38.

Tonight, nevertheless, he scorched splits of 28.09/31.02 to nab the victory, shredding that former PB to bits on his method to turning into the 4th-best Japanese performer in historical past.

Top 5 Japanese Men’s LCM 100 Breaststroke Performers

1. Shin Ohashi – 58.67, 2026
2. Yasuhiro Koseki – 58.78, 2018
3. Kosuke Kitajima – 58.90, 2012
4. Yamato Okadome – 59.11, 2026
5. Shoma Sato – 59.18, 2021

Okadome set the stage with a speedy time of 59.44 (28.28/31.16), his first-ever foray into the 59-second zone to snag the highest seed.

He reportedly despatched a video of his efficiency to his Cal coach, asking for suggestions on areas for enchancment heading into the medal-contending primary occasion.

After the race, Okadome informed Asian media, “I was able to swim calmly from 60 to 75 meters, and use my energy well so that I could swim my own style in the last 25 meters.”

He additionally described his coaching regime within the United States, saying ‘he focuses on weight training and swims six times a week in a 25-yard short course pool and three times a week in a long course pool.’

Per Hochi News, Okadome has gained 10 kilograms (~22 kilos) since leaving Japan.

“In Japan, weight training is not as focused as in America. That’s where I had an advantage,” he mentioned.

Cal’s Josh Huger confirmed to SwimSwam that Okadome strikes between the squad’s coaching teams pretty fluidly and works with each Dave Durden and Noah Yanchulis.

At this yr’s NCAA  Championships, Okadome swept the 100y breaststroke (49.90) and 200y breaststroke (1:48.61) occasions.