Boyle Produces World Class Performance in Tokyo

Swim star Lauren Boyle produced an emphatic performance to win the 400m freestyle on the second night of the FINA World Cup in Tokyo today.

Boyle, 25, dominated the final over the Spanish pair of world champion Melanie Costa and world record holder Mireia Belmonte.

While Costa has traditionally made the fast starts in the World Cup races, this time Boyle went with the pace, taking over at the 150m mark and then stamping her class on the field.

The State AquaBlack won by nearly four seconds from Costa with Belmonte third.

Her time was the fourth fastest short course time this year, giving Boyle two of those four best times behind Belmonte’s world record mark of 3:54.52 set in the Berlin World Cup in August. The New Zealander now has two of the fastest nine short course textile times ever over 400m freestyle.

This goes alongside Boyle’s winning time of 8:06.15 in the 800m on the first day which was the third fastest time this year behind Belmonte’s world record of 7:59.34 in Berlin and the Kiwi’s winning time over the Spaniard of 8:01.22 in the Eindhoven World Cup.

Tonight Boyle went through the 200m mark in 1:58 before working her way well clear of the field.

Earlier the Kiwi clocked 4:03.56 to top qualifiers ahead of Costa and Belmonte.

The final round of the seven-stop FINA World Cup circuit is in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

Results, World Cup, Tokyo, Day 2:
Women’s 400m freestyle final: Lauren Boyle (NZL) 3:57.68, 1; Melani Costa (ESP)4:01.63, 2; Mireia Belmonte (ESP) 4:01.64, 3.