Suzuki shatters 100-meter breaststroke mark

KUMAMOTO (Kyodo) Satomi Suzuki set a national record of 1 minute, 6.32 seconds in the women's 100-meter breaststroke final on the second day of the National Collegiate Swimming Championships Friday.

Euphoric moment: Satomi Suzuki celebrates her record-breaking performance in the women's 100-meter breaststroke at the National Collegiate Swimming Championships on Friday. KYODO PHOTO

Suzuki, a Yamanashi Gakuin University freshman, broke Mina Matsushima's record set earlier in the day by 0.91 seconds at Kumamoto Municipal Indoor Pool.

In the preliminaries, Matsushima, a Nihon University freshman, broke the oldest Japanese swimming record held by Masami Tanaka, who swam the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.27 in 2000.

In men's action, world silver medalist Ryosuke Irie won his second consecutive 200-meter backstroke title in 1:54.36, 1.85 off his own national mark.