Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) and Daiya Seto (JPN) set competition bests, while teen ace Rikako Ikee (JPN) lowered two of her own world junior marks and Bingjie Li (CHN) claimed one in the 400m free.

Sjostrom’s performances pushed her within touching distance of the overall title, while Chad le Clos (RSA) laid one hand on the men’s crown, even though both suffered setbacks.

The Swede clocked 55.07sec in the 100m fly, lowering the four-year-old World Cup record of 55.30 set by Alicia Coutts (AUS), with runner-up Ikee taking her world junior standard down by 0.43sec to 55.99.

Sjostrom was, however, edged out in the 50m free by Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED), who stopped the clock at 23.29, just ahead of the Swede in 23.34.

Katinka Hosszu (HUN) claimed the 250th gold of her World Cup career when winning the first race of the night, the 100m IM. She came home in 57.38, ahead of Ikee — who sliced 0.49sec off another of her world junior bests, this time to 57.75 — and arch-rival Emily Seebohm (AUS).

Seebohm and Hosszu locked horns again in the 200m back, and the Aussie gained revenge, eventually pulling back long-time leader Regan Smith (USA) in a thrilling duel over the final 50m, with Hosszu back in third.

Sjostrom came into the meet with 515 points, 111 ahead of Hosszu, with Seebohm fourth on 210, just 17 behind Kromowidjojo.

Le Clos set a breakneck pace in the 200m fly, clocking 0.25 and 0.26 below world record standard at the 50m and 100m, before dropping off to touch home in 1:50.71, only 0.66 ahead of Nao Horomura (CLB).

He then had to play second fiddle to Cameron McEvoy (AUS) in the 200m free.

McEvoy clocked 1:43.37 and Le Clos was 0.19 behind.

Le Clos (360 points) had a 123-point advantage over Vladimir Morozov (RUS) on arriving in Tokyo, and with the Russian managing only third in his sole race on Wednesday, the series title is the South African’s in all but name. 

Japan’s Seto had set the 400m IM World Cup standard in Beijing last week, and was at it again, lowering the mark a further 0.54 to 3:58.20.

The men’s and women’s series winners take home $150,000 each, runners-up $100,000, and third-place finishers $50,000, following a prize-money increase announced by FINA in September.

A rise in cluster prize-money sees the winner collect $50,000. with eighth place the last spot to be rewarded $3,000.

The third and final cluster began in Beijing last week, and the action now moves on to the overall series finale in Singapore this weekend.

FINA