Ryo Tateishi, 20, drove home his message to quadruple Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima by taking his third breaststroke crown, in 59.84 in the 100m, on the last day of the Japan nationals and Pan Pac Trials at the Tatsumi International Pool in Tokyo. 

Kitakima, 27, was beaten by 0.07sec, after having turned first at the 50m mark on 28.31, to Tateishi's 59.84. The times are the first sub-minute efforts of the year and reflect a strength across the board in Japan: by the close of the six-day event in Tokyo, Japanese swimmers boast 15 world top 10 places in early 2010 in all Olympic solo events. 

The sprint breaststroke bronze went to Yuta Suenaga in 1:00.30. In the wake of his first Olympic double in 2004, Kitajima was mauled at nationals but responded with the focus of a warrior. On his way to London 2012, two silvers and a fourth may be just what he needed to go the distance.

The national record of 58.91 belongs to Kitajima since the Beijing Olympic Games, when he wore a LZR racer of the poly kind. In 2007, Kitajima's textile best was a 59.74. His swimming is just about as good as it ever was, while Tateishi has moved on from a 59.48 best last year in the duel against Australia and a 1:01.18 best in 2008. Both men will race at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, in August, and both will present a serious challenge to Australian world champion Brenton Rickard, on 1:00.19 at his nationals last month.

On Kitajima, Tateishi told the Daily Yomiuri: "I was aware of where he was and I tried to stay sharp. In the second half [of the race], I just stuck with it and gave my all up to the touch."

Tateishi enjoyed his triple but hinted at the respect he has for Kitajma when he said: "Kitajima has just come back. But I'm glad I won."

Kitajima noted: "In the end, I was able to swim like I'm capable of. This is my level at this point. I'll have to raise it."

Japan's most versatile swimmer, Takeshi Matsuda, Olympic bronze medallist behind two of the most versatile swimmers in history, Mssrs Phelps and Cseh, set the national record of 1:52.97 back in Beijing. Today he claimed the national crown in 1:55.18 (25.69 54.78 1:24.51), second best in the world so far this year behind Aussie Nick D'Arcy (1:54.61).

The national 200m 'fly title  for women went to Natsumi Hoshi, 19, on 2:07.27, top of the world rankings so far this year.

In other events, the second national record to fall in six days of racing went to 19-year-old Yuya Horihata, on 4:12.02 in the 400m medley, 0.39sec inside the mark set by Ken Takakuwa last year. Takakuwa took bronze in 4:17.85, 0.52sec behind Kosuke Hagino, just 15 and moving on from a best time of 4:16.50 from August last year in a shiny suit.

That fast sprint club over in France may well need to keep an eye on rivals beyond the US in future:  the men's 100m free saw five men break 50sec, led by Takuro Fujii, on 49.21. 

Fujii set the national record at 48.73 a year ago, but that kind of speed was unlikely to be matched so soon beyond the ban on the plastic fantastic, while the champion has still to get inside his 49.01 best of 2008 too.

In his wake in Tokyo came Yoshihiro Okumura, on 49.65, Ranmaru Harada, 49.67, Makoto Ito, 49.72, Masayuki Kishida, 49.77, with Hiroaki Yamamoto the first man the wrong side of 50, by 0.07sec. A fine 4x100m in the making.

Japan nationals and trials, last day race reports

Women's 1500m freestyle

Yumi Kida led the 1,500m free until the 800m, turning in 8:43.68, to 8:45.28 for Chika Yonenaga, who reduced the deficit to 0.36sec over the next 100m before taking the lead and holding it on her way to a 16:21.57 victory. Kida took silver in 16:27.81, with the bronze going to the 18-year-old who had spent much of the race 3sec back from Kida, Ayano Koguchi , on 16:30.77. The national record is held by the 800m Olympic champion of 2004, Ai Shibata, on 15:58.55 from Melbourne 2007 world titles.

Men's 800m freestyle

Yosuke Miyamoto trailed Kenichi Doki and Junpei Higashi all the way to the 300m mark, inched past Higashi by 400m and took Doki at 500m. From there to taking the crown in 7:57.93, the 19-year-old never looked back, his rivals unable to hold pace. Doki took silver in 8:00.15, Hagashi, 17, bronze in 8:01.50. The national record has been held at 7:49.65 by Takeshi Matsuda since last year.

Women's 50m backstroke

Awa Terakawa dominated the sprint backstroke final in 28.05, not far from her national record of 27.73, from Rome 2009. Miyuki Takemura and Shiho Sakai took the minor spoils in 28.49 and 28.60, which locked Noriko Inada, 31, off the podium by 0.04sec.

Men's 50m backstroke

World 100m champion Junya Koga reinforced his status as Japan's premier backstroke sprinter with a 24.86 win in the 50m. Silver went to 200m champion Ryosuke Irie, on 25.16, and bronze ton Yamato Ujibayashi, on 25.90. Koga holds the national record at 24.24 since Rome 2009.

Women's 400m medley

15-year-old Miyu Ohtsuka wll be working on her freestyle with extra focus in future. She she led the 400m medley final until the 250m mark, when Izumi Kato edged ahead with a strong breaststroke leg. Kato had established a lead of just over a second over Miho Takashi, 17, turning into freestyle, with Ohtsuka still chasing within half a second. On the way home Takahashi almost got to Kato, who claimed the crown in 4:39.76, to 4:39.87, while the early leader faded but managed to hang on for bronze in 4:43.13. The national record is held at 4:35.96by Yasuko Tajima since Beijing 2008.

Men's 400m medley

National record holder Ken Takakuwa lost his standard and was demoted to bronze in the long medley final. The crown and national record, the second to fall in six days of racing, went to 19-year-old Yuya Horihata, on 4:12.02, 0.39sec inside the mark. His splits: 27.11; 57.42; 1:29.99; 2:02.52; 2:37.59; 3:13.51; 3:43.40; 4:12.02. Another teenager bucks the suits slowdown trend. The silver went to Kosuke Hagino, 15, on 4:17.23, with Takakuwa taking bronze 0.52sec back on 4:17.85.

Women's 100m freestyle

Haruka Ueda challenged the national record in the sprint free final with a 54.87 win, off a leading 26.70 split. Just 0.05sec away at 50m was Yaoi Matsumoto, who could not hold the leader's pace but took silver in 55.33, with bronze going to Tomoko Hagiwara in a tussle with Hanae Ito that ended 56.01 to 56.02. Misaki Yamaguchi, who last September set the national record of 54.43 finished 21st in heats on 57.60.

Men's 100m freestyle

Takuro Fujii claimed the crown on 49.21. The national record of 48.73 from a year ago was unlikely to be matched so soon after shiny suit loss, but Fujii was good enough to keep the pack at bay:  Yoshihiro Okumura, on 49.65, Ranmaru Harada, 49.67, Makoto Ito, 49.72, Masayuki Kishida, 49.77, with Hiroaki Yamamoto the first man the wrong side of 50, by 0.07sec. 

Women's 200m butterfly

The 2:06.38 national record of Yuko Nakanishi from April 2008 lived to fight another day though its days may be numbered sooner rather than later. The national title went to Natsumi Hoshi, 19, on 2:07.27 (28.73 1:01.12 1:33.94), ahead of Hiroko Sugino, 2:10.32, and Yai Watanabe, 2:12.06. Hoshi's time heads the world rankings so far this year

Men's 200m butterfly

Japan's most versatile swimmer, Takeshi Matsuda, Olympic bronze medallist behind two of the most versatile swimmers in history, Mssrs Phelps and Cseh, set the national record of 1:52.97 back in Beijing. Today he claimed the national crown in 1:55.18 (25.69 54.78 1:24.51), second best in the world so far this year behind Aussie Nick D'Arcy (1:54.61). Not far behind was Ryusuke Sakata, on 1:56.06, and Kazuya Kaneda, 1:56.34, with Hidemasa Sano locked out on 1:56.57. Japan now makes up half of the early 2010 world top 10 in this event so far this year.

Women's 100m breaststroke

Satomi Suzuki's 1:07.64 was no match for her national standard of 1:06.32 but it was good enough to keep her domestic rivals at bay, the silver going to Mina Matsushima, on 1:08.44, bronze to Fumiko Kawanabe, on 1:08.45. In yet another event to boast the depth of quality in Japanese swimming, 4th went to Keiko Fukudome 16 and on 1:08.75, and 5th and 18th to 17-year-olds Asuka Kobayashi, on 1:08.87, and Kana Sugisaki, on 1:09.00.

Men's 100m breaststroke

A reported above, Ryo Tateishi, 20, delivered a strong message to quadruple Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima by taking his third breaststroke crown, in 59.84 in the 100m. Kitakima, 27, was beaten by 0.07sec, after having turned first at the 50m mark on 28.31, to Tateishi's 59.84. The bronze went to Yuta Suenaga in 1:00.30. Those three efforts fill three of the top four best in the world so far this year, with world champion Brenton Rickard third in 1:00.19 from his nationals and trials last month.