The Vortex - November 2025: McEvoy, Ohashi, Matsushita Top Speed Charts At Japan Open
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Sunday, November 30: It's early summer season for Olympic champion Cameron McEvoy, of Australia, but the sprinter brought November and the Japan Open to a sizzling close with a 21.38 victory in the 50km free ahead of teammate Flynn Southam (21.85).
The three-day meet also featured a speedy 2:06.96 from Shin Ohashi, 16, in the 200m breaststroke, the time just 0.05sec outside his own World Junior mark. Closest to him was Kosuke Makino (2:08.69), while Ohashi's win completed a sweep of all three breaststroke finals.
In the men's 200m medley, Tomoyuki Matsushita won the 200m IM in 1:55.60, more than two seconds ahead of Yumeki Kojima, 16, on a lifetime best of 1:57.51, and So Ogata, 1:57.64). For Olympic 400IM medallist Matsushita, 20, the win also marked his career best career 200 IM, ahead of his previous high of 1:56.35. Globally the 15th fastest ever, he moves up from all-time Japan No4 to No3 as the fourth man from his country to race inside 1:57:
- Kosuke Hagino - 1:55.07, 2016
- Daiya Seto - 1:55.55, 2020
- Tomoyuki Matsushita - 1:55.60, 2025 (24.64/29.03/34.04/27.89)
- Kosuke Makino - 1:55.85, 2025
- So Ogata 1:57.06, 2023
In other events, Australian Jenna Forrester took the women's 200m medley in 2:11.27, and Japan's Satomi Suzuki, 34, completed a breaststroke sweep with a 2:25.55 win I the 200m. Other winners included Australia's Matt Temple (50.92, 100 'fly), and Japan's Mizuki Hirai (57.27, 100 'fly).
Harris At The Double
Sticking with the Aussie sprint force, Meg Harris sped to times of 24.48 and 52.86 in the 50 and 100m free at the Rocky City Twilight Meet in Rockhampton.
Sjöström & Child: Sweden's 2025 Portrait of Honour
Sweden’s National Portrait Gallery has chosen three-times Olympic sprint 'fly and free champion Sarah Sjöström - and child - for its 2025 Portrait of Honour. A picture of a heavily pregnant Sjöström, shot by Magnus Ragnvid, will be permanently hung in Gripsholm Castle, in Mariefred, Södermanland.
The castle is located on the shores of Lake Mälaren in south central Sweden, in the municipality of Strängnäs, about 60km west of Stockholm. Formerly a permanent Royal palace, the castle is now a museum, but remains at the disposal of King Carl XVI Gustaf as a palace should he wish to use it.
For the Ragnvid portrait, Sjöström, the Olympic 50 and 100m freestyle champion at Paris 2024 in the season before she and her husband announced their happy news:
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Sjöström and her partner Johan de Jong Skierus welcomed their son Adrian to the world on August 26: Sarah delivered Adrian in the ambulance on the way to hospital:
In the Portrait of Honour, Sarah wears a blue dress, made by Swedish designer Lars Wallin:
Also in the Vortex:
- Winter Warmers see Canadian, national and local, records broken
- Maggie Mac Neil Takes Her Place In London (Ontario) Sports Hall of Fame
- Karen Pickering recognised with Honorary Doctorate from University of Suffolk
- Indonesia Poses Constitutional Dilemma For The IOC
- USOPC Aims To Raise $500m In 'One for All' Campaign
- A Merger In An Alien World
- NSW Swimming Keeps A Hawk-Eye On The Future
- Aussie Swim Folk Ask For Role In Canberra Aquatics Plan
- Sharron Davies & Tracy Edwards Launch Women's Sports Union in UK
- Siobhan Haughey Takes The Plunge As Hong Kong Victoria Harbour Race Seeks More Swimmers
- Los Angeles 2028 Olympics Closing Ceremony Devs
- GB Para Swim Ace Poppy Maskill Nominated In Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards
- Italy Names 32 For Short-Course Europeans
- Luca Urlando Cracks American, NCAA Record in 200 'Fly
- Kuzey Tuncelli Bound For University of Texas
- BSCA Awards:
Lisa Bates Honoured As BSCA Coach of the Year
Lisa Bates, the Chelsea & Westminster mentor, has lifted the BSCA Coach of the Year Award 2025, in recognition of her role in coaching a sprinter to the only medal that Great Britain claimed in solo events at the Singapore 2025 World Championships. The awards list in full:
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- Yan Zibei Retires As Chinese Nationals Games End In Shenzhen
- Li Bingjie Completes Distance Free Triple At National Games
- 100-200 Doubles for Haughey, Qin and Xu at Chinese National Games
- Patrick Miley Honoured With BSCA Para Coach Of Year Award
- Siobhan Haughey Halts China National-Team Gold Rush With 1:54.8 200 Free Victory
- BSCA Honours Coaches Dave McNulty, Ryan Livingstone & Dr. Mike Peyrebrune - Each A Contributor To Britain's 4x200 Bonanza
- Xu Jiayu, 30, adds another National Games Crown Yo His Vault
- When Yu, 13, Took Down Asian 200IM Mark Of 2012 Olympic Champion Ye (16) After 13 Years
- Coaches McNulty, Bowie and Jegou Honoured For Excellence On Day 2 Of BSCA Awards Week
- Coaches Piper & Thompson Honoured By BSCA As Awards Week Gets Underway
- Zhang Zhanshuo Sets WJR 3:42.82 In 400 Free Chinese National Games Get Underway in Shenzhen
- Filip Nowacki To Make Senior GB Debut Among 17 selected For Europe S/C Champs in Poland
- Vanotterdijk, Gaspard & Verreth Set Belgian S/C Records
- Summer McIntosh Joins Team Arena
- Komoróczy Breaks Hosszu’s Hungarian S/C 'Fly Dash Mark
- Carol ‘Penny’ Taylor Passes Away At 96
- Dávid Betlehem 1st To Break 14:30 s/c 1500 free this season
- U.S. Pro Swim Format Tweaked for 2026 Season
- Walshe, Wiffen & NíRiain Lift Athlete Of Year Honours At Swim Ireland Awards - & Sweeney Is Top Coach
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