Hidemasa Sano and Ryo Tateishi set three  Japanese records at the Open and short-course nationals at the Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Center over the weekend. 

Sano retained the 200m medley crown in  1:53.85 on Sunday, a day after clocking a 1:50.97 record over 200m butterfly. Second to Sano on medley was Austria's European s/c champion Markus Rogan, on 1:54.10, 2.38sec down on his 2009 best.  Rogan got the touch over Ryosuke Irie (JPN), 1:50.02 to 1:50.71, in the 200m backstroke, the winner some 2.5sec outside best but a touch inside his previous textile best set in 2006.

Tateishi clocked 57.50 to shave 0.05sec off the Japanese record of 57.55 that he set at the same meet a year ago. Two Chinese swimmers also bucked the expected trend in slower times.  Tang Yi broke the Chinese record over 200m free in 1:54.76, 0.11sec inside the  best of Pang Jiaying (who has a long-course best as fast as her s/c best).

Therese Alshammar (SWE), world record holder on 24.38 in the 50 'fly, clocked 25.51 to get the touch over Jiao Liuyang, on a Chinese record of 25.89, 0.03sec inside her 2009 best. Jiao won the 100m in 56.54, ahead of Alshammar.

There were some interesting contrasts in the 50m events that were so greatly affected by shiny suits. While many were between 0.7sec and 1.2sec off their best times, there were some remarkable efforts from Chinese swimmers, Gao Chang clocking 25.92 in the 50m backstropke, 0.22sec away from the world record and almost a second ahead of world-class sprinter  Aya Terakawa (JPN).

On the clock, the meet was a far cry from events a year ago, when 26 Japanese records fell at the two-day meet, courtesy of non-textile suits that were destined to be banned by January 1, 2010. In terms of races, the meet produced just as many tight finishes and a host of fine performances.

Among highlights:

In the 100m back, a 50.78sec win for Junya Koga, world champion 0.7sec down on best, gave him the win 0.39sec ahead of Ryosuke Irie, while Ryo Tateishi claimed his third crown in the 200m breaststroke in 2:04.26. 

Lotte Friis (DEN), world 800m free champion, kept the pack at bay over 400m and 800m, in 4:02.53 - ahead of Chinese pair Tan Miao, 4:03.43, and Liu Jing, 4:04.09 - and 8:20.50. Mads Glaesner added to Danish delight  with a 14:49.74 win in the 1,500m 2.25sec up on Ryoji Sononaka (JPN), with  his teammate Youhei Takiguchi the third sub-15-minute man, on 14:55.65. Glaesner also took second in the 400m, on 3:43.64 behind the host's Takeshi Matsuda, on 3:42.91. 

Rie Kaneto took the 200m breaststroke in 2:18.63, and Darian Townsend (RSA) had a 200m free tussle with Syogo Hihara (JPN)  that ended 1:44.29 to 1:44.48 in Townsend's favour. Izumi Katou won the 400m medley in  4:33.04, with Maiko Fujino finished second in 4:35.07 and Eri Morikawa giving Japan a sweep on 4:36.74.  Yuuya Horihata  took the men's race in 4:08.84.

Marie Kamimura clocked 2:03.48 to win the 200m backstroke, and Mina Matsushima took the women's 100 breaststroke in 1:05.67, ahead of Satomi Suzuki, on 1:06.07, and Fumiko Kawenabe, on 1:06.25.

For full results, go to the Japan Open website.