47th NATIONAL JOC SPRING SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS (JPN)
On the heels of the Japan Swim, the sole qualifying opportunity for this summer’s World Championships, the Tokyo Aquatics Centre is playing host to the 47th National Junior Olympic Cup Spring Swimming Championships.
The competition spans four days and includes short course meters prelims and finals for girls/boys ages 11-12, 13-14, 15-16 and 17&O.
Already qualified for Singapore, 18-year-old Mio Narita was in the water once again, taking on her pet event of the 400m IM.
Narita stopped the clock at a time of 4:28.19 to handily take the gold, establishing a new Japanese National High School Record in the process.
Splits for Narita’s new JPN HS Record:
Entering this competition, Miku Kojima held the high school standard, courtesy of the 4:28.49 logged in 2018, so Narita managed to shave .30 off to check in with the new mark.
Olympic finalist Narita’s performance here also represents a new lifetime best, overtaking her previous PB of 4:29.70 notched at the 2022 Japanese Short Course Championships. She now becomes Japan’s 4th-quickest SCM 400 IM performer ever.
Top 5 Japanese Women’s SCM 400 IM Performers All-Time
Yui Ohashi – 4:22.73, 2018
Sakiko Shimizu – 4:27.61 2020 & Miho Takahashi 4:27.61, 2014
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Mio Narita, 4:28.19, 2025
Miyu Otsuka, 4:28.26
17-year-old Kazushi Imafuku is also racing at this competition, making his presence known in the 400m freestyle.
Imafuku stopped the clock at a time of 3:42.44 to establish a new meet record. The old benchmark stood at 3:42.85, with Imafuku’s outing checking in as a new personal best by over 4 seconds. He’s now Japan’s 9th-swiftest SCM 400 free performer of all time.
