Las Vegas (AFP) – Japan’s Daiya Seto burst onto the International Swimming League scene Friday with a short course world record of 3min 54.81sec in the 400m medley at the series finale as Caeleb Dressel lowered the 50m free world mark.
Seto, who figures to be a star of the Tokyo Olympics next year, broke the previous record of 3:55.50 set by American Ryan Lochte at the short course world championships in Dubai in 2010.
Dressel, whose eight medals at last July’s long course world championships included six golds, clocked 20.24sec in the 50m free to break the previous record of 20.26 set by France’s Florent Manaudou at the 2014 short course worlds in Doha.
Manaudou, who returned from retirement this year in a comeback aimed at the Tokyo Games, settled for second on Friday in 20.69.
Seto, swimming for the Europe-based Energy Standard team, was making his first appearance in the series, which was launched this year with six events leading up to this weekend’s finals in Las Vegas.
The glitzy US gambling haven was hailed as the perfect venue for a league aiming to shake up the sport, stepping out from under the umbrella of international governing body FINA and offering significant prize money in a quick-paced format aimed at exciting swimmers and fans alike.
Scott Duncan, swimming for London Roar, was second to Seto in 3:59.81 — the first British man to break four minutes in the event.
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