Teenager Rikako Ikee won the women's 50-meter butterfly at an international swimming meet on Friday.
The 16-year-old Rio Olympian swam the 50 butterfly without taking a breath for the first time to win in 26.09 seconds, well short of the Japanese record of 25.50 she set in July last year.
It was the second time Ikee had swum without taking a breath in competition after setting a Japanese record en route to winning the 50 freestyle at the Konami Open in Tokyo last month.
"There is less drag from the water when you don't take a breath and I think you can go faster. It is something I want to get used to," Ikee said.
"I strained myself quite a bit and could not manage to go under 26 seconds but it is a step in the right direction."
