Niigata OPEN Kohei Kawamoto Cup / 31st Niigata Prefecture Sprint Championships
- October 18, 2026
- Nagaoka Niigata, Japan (Daiei Probis Phoenix Pool)
- Long Course Meters (LCM)
- Meet Results
Yusei Imaizumi has broken his 2nd World Junior Record this month, this time in long course.
The 17-year-old swam a 26.75 in prelims of the 50 meter breaststroke in long course at the Niigata Prefecture Spring Championships, a meet with only 50 meter races. He was unable to better that time in finals, where he swam 26.82.
That broke the former World Junior Record of 26.95 that was set at the 2025 World Junior Championships by Germany’s Jan Malte Grafe.
Imaizumi is only 17, and was born in February 2009, meaning that he has the remainder of this year and next year to further lower this record.
The time also breaks the Japanese High School Record of 26.98, which was set by Shin Ohashi in March 2026.
Imaizumi’s swim ties him for 30th in the all-time, all ages rankings with Brazilian Felipe Franca and Korean Dongyeol Choi in an event that has historically favored veteran swimmers more than many other events on the schedule.
About a week earlier, on October 10, Imaizumi swam 55.82 in the 100 breaststroke in short course meters, which also sets a new World Junior Record. That was done in Tashkent, Uzbekistan during the Swimming World Cup.
This week’s meet does not include a 100 breaststroke in long course, though Imaizume has plenty of time to chase that record. The current World Junior Record in the 100 in long course belongs to Ohashi, who swam 58.54 at Pan Pacs in August.
