Kiwi swimmer Lewis Clareburt has smashed his personal best and his own national record in the heats of the 400-metre individual medley, winning the race and qualifying for the final.
The 22-year-old Clareburt took the lead early, touching first at the opening turn, and was nearly a body length ahead of American gold medal favourite Chase Kalisz at the halfway point of the race.
Kalisz caught Clareburt on the breaststroke leg but the Kiwi refused to let him get away and blitzed past him on the first freestyle leg.
While Kalisz tried to catch him on the final leg, Clareburt held on to touch first in a new personal best time of 4:09.49.
Clareburt qualified second fastest behind Australian Brendon Smith and will start tomorrow's final in lane five.
Meanwhile, it was heartbreak for Japan, as local favourite and Rio bronze medallist Daiya Seto crashed out of the event, falling back late in his heat to finish fifth and ninth overall. Only the top eight qualify for the final.
Fellow Kiwi swimmer Zac Reid hit the pool in the 400-metre freestyle heats not long after, finishing sixth in 3:49.85. It was not enough for a place in the final, but he will get another chance in the pool in his favoured 800-metre distance on Tuesday.
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