McEvoy wins thrilling 200m freestyle shootout in Japan

  

Swimming Australia, May 21, 2016: Swimming’s man of the moment Cam McEvoy has won a thrilling 200m freestyle shootout with Japan’s “rising son” Kousuke Hagino at the Japan Open in Tokyo tonight.

Just a month after his historic 50,100 and 200m freestyle treble at the Hancock Prospecting Australian Championships to rocket his way on to the Rio Olympic team, the recently turned 22-year-old McEvoy has come from behind to edge out Hagino on the wall.

After trailing down the first 50 metres McEvoy turned it on down the second lap to edge in front of the 2014 Male Swimmer of the Year and a red-hot field of Japanese swimmers and fellow Australian Olympic team member Dan Smith.

Hagino came at McEvoy again on the final 50m but it was McEvoy who withstood the challenge to beat the former world ranked number one by 0.02.

McEvoy stopped the clock at 1:46.41 to Hagino’s 1:46.43 with Japan’s Naito Ehara (1:46.96) third and Smith fourth to touch the wall in 1:47.61.

The Japanese tried to unsettle McEvoy (25.02) who was fourth at the first turn behind Japanese trio Hagino (24.61), Yuuki Kobori (24.99) and Ehara (25.00).

Hagino, the 21-year-old from Tochigi, is one of the biggest names in swimming in Japan and will be one of McEvoy’s major opponents in this event in Rio.

McEvoy now faces a major test on day two when he lines up in the 100 and 400 metres freestyle double as he prepares to take on a busy eight-day Olympic program at the Olympics.

In other events tonight:

-       Australia’s Taylor McKeown (1:07.48) touched the wall in second in the 100m breaststroke.

-       Fellow Olympic team backstrokers and Nunawading pair Josh Beaver (54.99) and Belinda Hocking (1:00.90) were third home in their respective 100m backstroke

-       WA's Olympic team rookie Tamsin Cook clocked the fastest time of the day in the women’s 800m free 8:36.76 while;

-       USC Spartan’s Olympic team 4x200m freestyler Leah Neale clocked the second fastest time in the 200m free final of 1:58.60.