2019 Mare Nostrum – Canet: Day 1 Finals Live Recap Includes 58.78 By Peaty

2019 MARE NOSTRUM – CANET

• June 11-12, 2019
• Canet-en-Roussillon
• Psych sheet
• Schedule
• Mare Nostrum Records
• Day 1 Prelims Recap
• Results

WOMEN’S 50 BACK – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record – 27.37, Anastasia Fesikova (RUS), 2018
• Canet Record – 27.80, Anastasia Zueva (RUS), 2009
  • GOLD – Georgia Davies (GBR), 27.97
  • SILVER – Phoebe Bacon (USA), 28.02
  • BRONZE – Stephanie Au (HKG), 28.23

Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Georgia Davies got the job done tonight to lead-off the first finals session in Canet with gold. The 28-year-old Energy Standard swimmer clocked a winning mark of 27.97 to notch the only sub-28 second time of the field, although a charging American in Phoebe Bacon closed just .05 behind.

Davies took the British title earlier this year in a mark of 28.10, so her outing this evening overtook her season-best.

Bacon’s personal best heading into this meet was the 28.41 clocked just this past January at the Pro Swim Series in Knoxville. The University of Wisconsin-bound athlete punched the wall tonight in 28.02 for silver, while Hong Kong ace Stephanie Au collected bronze in 28.23.

Au is coming off of a newly-minted National Record of 27.98 forged just days ago in Monaco. The 27-year-old is a three-time Olympian and is the holder of three other Hong Kong National LCM Records in the 400 free, 800 free, and 100 back.

MEN’S 50 BACK – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record – 24.45, Michael Andrew (USA), 2019
• Canet Record – 24.79, Michael Andrew (USA), 2019
  • GOLD – Michael Andrew (USA), 24.53 *Canet Meet Record
  • SILVER – Jeremy Stravius (FRA), 25.30
  • BRONZE – Shane Ryan (IRL), 25.39

American sprinter Michael Andrew cleared his 24.79 prelims time with an even quicker meet record of 24.53 to take the men’s 50m back title easily. The next closest competitor was France’s Jeremy Stravius, who touched in 25.30, well over half a second back. Ireland’s Shane Ryan rounded out the top 3 in 25.39.

Andrew set the Mare Nostrum Tour Record in Monaco with his monster 24.45, a time that sits only behind Russia’s Kliment Kolesnikov in this season’s world rankings. Stravius was 24.92 at French Nationals, while Ryan’s season-bset is the 25.13 logged at the Flanders Cup.

Of note young Nic Pyle of Newcastle finished a strong 6th among the elite racers tonight, registering a mark of 25.78 at 19 years of age.

WOMEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record -23.85, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
• Canet Record – 23.85, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
  • GOLD – Mariia Kameneva (RUS), 24.68
  • SILVER – Anna Hopkin (GBR), 24.89
  • BRONZE – Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 24.92

Russia got on the board in style, courtesy of Mariia Kameneva‘s winning 50m freestyle mark of 24.68. The 20-year-old triple European Championships medalist from 2018 clocked a time .36 off of her season-best of 24.32 performed at the Russian Nationals for this year’s title. That former outing situates Kameneva as 4th fastest in the world this season.

British World Championships-bound swimmer Anna Hopkin, also of the University of Arkansas stateside, rocketed up from 5th after this morning’s heats to a 24.89 scorcher for gold. That time represents Hopkin’s only sub-25 second swim outside of British Championships, where she notched the British title in a slower 24.99. Hopkin’s personal best her keeps her in slot #4 among the all-time female British performers.

Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey was at it again, going under 25 for just the 2nd meet of her bright career. Earlier in Monaco Haughey clinched a new National Record in 24.85, becoming the first-ever woman from her nation to break the 25 second barrier. The former Michigan Wolverine wasn’t too far away tonight, hitting 24.92.

MEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record – 21.31, Bruno Fratus (BRA), 2019
• Canet Record – 21.65, Fred Bousquet (FRA), 2009
  • GOLD – Bruno Fratus (BRA), 21.64 *Canet Meet Record
  • SILVER – Ben Proud (GBR), 21.69
  • BRONZE – Kristian Gkolomeev (GRE), 21.98

Brazilian dynamo Bruno Fratus indeed followed up his 21.31 stunner from Monaco with another powerful statement swim here tonight in Canet. After establishing himself as the 2nd seeded swimmer to Britain’s Ben Proud with a mark of 22.34 to the latter’s 22.25, Fratus hit the jets on full speed tonight to register a gold medal-worthy mark of 21.64. The number of occasions Fratus has entered the sub-22 zone now reaches well over 70.

Proud hit the time pad just a fingernail distance behind in 21.69, while our bronze medalist this evening, Kristian Gkolomeev of Greece, was also sub-22 in 21.98.

After the smoke settled, Fratus remains the #1 swimmer in the world with the aforementioned 21.31, while Proud’s 21.48 from the FINA Champions Series holds firm as the world’s #2 time. Gkolomeev’s 21.54 from Monaco, just a tenth off his lifetime best, also remains a 4th in the world.

Other notable finalists in this race include Japan’s National Record holder Shinri Shioura, who finished 4th in 22.18, while Andrew had a quick post-50 back turnaround with 22.68. The ageless Roland Schoeman took 8th in a respectable 22.80.

WOMEN’S 800 FREE – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record –
• Canet Record – 8:20.68, Jaz Carlin (GBR), 2014
  • GOLD – Ajna Kesely (HUN), 8:24.25
  • SILVER – Delfina Pignatiello (ARG), 8:24.33 *Argentine National Record
  • BRONZE – Anna Egorova (RUS), 8:34.77

Youth Olympic Games Champion Ajna Kesely of Hungary held on for dear life on the final 100m of this grueling 800m free battle to pull out the win ahead of Argentina’s Delfina Pignatiello. 17-year-old Kesely powered her way to the wall in a mark of 8:24.25, the 2nd fastest mark of her impressive young career.

Kesely’s personal best rests at the 8:22.01 notched for silver at last year’s European Championships while she produced just a 8:28.19 at this year’s Hungarian Nationals. Tonight, fueled by Pignatiello’s relentlessness, the Hungarian clutched gold in the 6th fastest time in the world this season.

As for Pignatiello, her time of 8:24.33 checks-in as a new Argentine National Record. 8:25.22 is where the record sat from the 19-year-old’s performance at the 2017 World Junior Championships where she secured gold. With her silver medal here, Pignatiello becomes the first South American woman ever under 8:25 in the 800m free.

MEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record – 3:41.71, Ian Thorpe (AUS), 2001
• Canet Record – 3:46.93, Aleksandr Krasnykh (RUS), 2017
  • GOLD – Aleksandr Krasnykh (RUS), 3:49.20
  • SILVER – Henrik Christiansen (NOR), 3:49.57
  • BRONZE – Marwan Elkamash (EGY), 3:50.47

The men’s 400m free was less intense with Russia’s Alksandr Krasnykh and Norway’s Henrik Christiansen representing the only racers to dip under the 3:50 threshold in the final. Krasnykh’s time is almost identical to the 3:49.28 he produced in Monaco, although he holds the Canet Meet Record with his 3:46.93 from 2017. The Russian has been as fast as 3:45.55 this season, a time that represents the 6th fastest in the world.

For Christiansen, he, too has been quicker, holding a season-best of 3:46.96. He is the reigning European Championships silver medalist, having taken the runner-up slot (3:47.07) behind Ukraine’s Mykhailo Romanchuk in Glasgow last year .

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record – 2:06.66, Emily Seebohm (AUS), 2017
• Canet Record – 2:06.66, Emily Seebohm (AUS), 2017
  • GOLD – Pheobe Bacon (USA), 2:09.57
  • SILVER – Alex Walsh (USA), 2:10.53
  • BRONZE – Taylor Ruck (CAN), 2:11.24

Although she led other prelim swimmers in a near–personal best time of 2:10.03, Alex Walsh saw American teammate Bacon surge to the wall first in 2:09.57 for 200m back gold. For Wisconsin-bound Bacon, her time tonight represents the 2nd fastest outing of her young career, with just her 2:09.36 from earlier this year as having been quicker.

Walsh still produced a solid swim in 2:10.53 for silver, while versatile Canadian and Stanford Cardinal Taylor Ruck swam strong in 2:11.24 for bronze. Ruck is World Championships-bound in this event, having scored a monster 2:06.70 at Canada’s Trials this past April.

Both Bacon and Walsh were quicker than Katinka Hosszu‘s winning effort of 2:10.74 from Monaco, just for perspective.

MEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record – 1:54.34, Ryosuke Irie (JPN), 2011
• Canet Record – 1:54.54, Ryosuke Irie (JPN), 2011
  • GOLD – Adam Telegdy (HUN), 1:58.44
  • SILVER – Martin Binedell (RSA), 2:00.16
  • BRONZE – Luke Greenbank (GBR), 2:00.47

The men’s 200m back saw just one swimmer venture into sub-2:00 territory, as Hungary’s Adam Telegdy topped the podium in 1:58.44. That time beats out the 1:59.05 Telegdy produced in Glasgow last year in the semi-finals of the European Championships, but is well shy of his World Championships-qualifying effort of 1:56.98 from Hungarian Nationals this year.

South African Martin Binedell collected the runner-up spot in 2:00.16, while Luke Greenbank clinched bronze in 2:00.47. Greenbank is the man who busted out a huge personal best of 1:55.89 to take the British title this year by 3 seconds and almost nail a new British National Record en route to punching his ticket to Gwangju.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record – 1:04.82, Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 2017
• Canet Record – 1:04.82, Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 2017
  • GOLD – Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 1:06.74
  • SILVER – Jessica Vall (ESP), 1:07.82
  • BRONZE – Sophie Hansson (SWE), 1:07.89

Russia’s explosive Yuliya Efimova was simply too fast for tonight’s final, clocking a speedy 1:06.74 to win the race by over a second. Spain’s Jessica Vall was next in line in 1:07.82, just .07 ahead of Swedish ace Sophie Hansson, who earned bronze in 1:07.89.

For Efimova, she was faster in Monaco, having won gold there in menacing 1:05.77. That time was less than .6 off of the Monaco Meet Record, while she owns the Canet Record in a head-spinning 1:04.82, just .69 off of the World Record. Her season-best is 1:05.51, ranking her 2nd in the world this season.

Vall’s season-best is the 1:07.37 clocked at the Edinburgh International Meet.

MEN’S 100 BREAST – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record – 58.78, Yasuhiro Koseki (JPN), 2018
• Canet Record – 58.92, Adam Peaty (GBR), 2019
  • GOLD – Adam Peaty (GBR), 58.78 *Equals Mare Nostrum Tour Record
  • SILVER – James Wilby (GBR), 58.99
  • BRONZE – Yasuhiro Koseki (JPN), 59.72

Putting on a clinic every time he swims, 24-year-old Adam Peaty of Great Britain steamrolled his way to the wall first to take 100m breaststroke gold in a monster 58.78. When some swimmers are content to have broken a minute, Peaty crushes his 2nd sub-59 second outing of the day, having a 58.92 for breakfast this morning. His time tonight equals the Mare Nostrum Tour Record set by Japan’s Yasuhiro Koseki last year.

But, he wasn’t alone in 58-land, as his Loughborough partner-in-crime James Wilby also produced a brilliant swim of his own in 58.99. That’s within .33 of the 58.66 that Wilby threw down at British Championships to qualify for the World Championships in Gwangju next month.

Koseki was the 3rd swimmer under a minute in the final, hitting 59.72 for a nice in-season swim after having just finished competing at the Japan Open not too long ago. He was 59.12 there in Tokyo to add his name to the Japanese roster for the World Championships.

WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record – 2:08.49, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2017
• Canet Record – 2:08.93, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2016
  • GOLD – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2:08.57
  • SILVER – Rika Omoto (JPN), 2:10.15
  • BRONZE – Madisyn Cox (USA), 2:10.30

The Iron Lady made magic happen once again in her pet 200m IM event, rocking a new Canet Meet Record of 2:08.57 en route to gold. The 29-year-old Olympic champion Hosszu beat the field by well over a second, putting up her 2nd fastest time of the season. Hosszu’s top time of the his year was just .02 faster with the 2:08.55 clocked at the FFN Golden Tour in Marseille.

American Madisyn Cox was near her season-best as well, with her bronze medal-garnering 2:10.30 from tonight sitting just .37 away from her 2:10.18 notched in Monaco.

19-year-old Rika Omoto has qualified for the World Championships in this event for Japan, owning a personal best mark of 2:09.91 from the Japan Swim. The fact she was within .3 of that PB is a good sign that Omoto is a potential minor medal contender in Gwangju.

MEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record – 4:07.96, Laszlo Cseh (HUN), 2008
• Canet Record – 4:07.96, Laszlo Cseh (HUN), 2008
  • GOLD – Daiya Seto (JPN), 4:09.62
  • SILVER – Carson Foster (USA), 4:15.18
  • BRONZE – Gergely Gyurta (HUN), 4:16.26

Japan’s Daiya Seto continues to put American rival Chase Kalisz on notice, tonight firing off another warning shot with a sub-4:10 400m IM. The man has simply been on a tear this season, crushing PBs left and right, even in off events like the 400m free and 100m breast, where he produced a 59-point at the Japan Open.

Tonight, Seto took the gold by over 5 seconds in a time of 4:09.52, his 2nd fastest of the season. His top time this year is represented by the 4:09.25 he clocked at the Hanamatsu Championships, although he was within range of that with a 4:09.98 registered at the Japan Swim to qualify for next month’s World Championships.

Runner-up tonight is one of America’s brightest young stars in Carson Foster. The Mason Manta Ray/Texas commit brought the heat with the 4th fastest time of his budding career, hitting the wall in 4:15.18. That’s his quickest this season by a large margin, with his 4:20.27 from January in Knoxville being obliterated by tonight’s time.

The only other sub-4:20 performances by Foster in this event came at Championship meets with his personal best of 4:14.73 having given him Junior Pan Pacs gold last year.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record – 55.76, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
• Canet Record – 55.76, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
  • GOLD – Svetlana Chimrova (RUS), 57.92
  • SILVER – Penny Oleksiak (CAN), 58.45
  • BRONZE – Marie Wattel (FRA), 58.48

Russian Svetlana Chimrova powered her way to the top of the odium in a mark of 57.92 to win by over half a second. She’s been as fast as 57.63 en route to winning her Russian National title earlier this year. Chimrova took silver in both this and the 200m fly event in Glasgow last year, clocking 57.40 for gold behind Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom.

Canadian Olympic medalist in this event, Penny Oleksiak, looked sharp with a time of 58.45, while France’s Marie Wattel took bronze in 58.48. Oleksiak busted out a 56.46 for silver in Rio, but hasn’t been up to that kind of form in this event since. She finished 3rd at Canadian Trials in the race, so she won’t be swimming the 100m fly in Gwangju.

MEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record – 51.56, Chad Le Clos (RSA), 2016
• Canet Record – 51.56, Chad Le Clos (RSA), 2016
  • GOLD – James Guy, 51.86
  • SILVER – Mehdy Metella, 52.11
  • BRONZE – Vini Lanza, 52.42

James Guy led the prelims in a solid 52.98, but he unleashed something special this evening to make a 100m fly statement in Canet. The 23-year-old won the British National title in April with a time of 51.97, but he surpassed that mark with tonight’s 51.86 stunner. Guy was just 52.31 in Monaco, so he found another few gears to crush a sub-52 for gold.

That checks in as the 15th fastest time this year, but is a confidence boost for the aAth swimmer heading into Gwangju next month, both individually, as well as for his nation’s relay.

Frenchman Mehdy Metella took silver tonight in 52.11, while Brazilian Vini Lanza wrangled up bronze in 52.42. Metella sits atop the world rankings throne already with this monster 50.85 from French Championships.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record – 1:54.66, Camille Muffat (FRA), 2012
• Canet Record – 1:54.66, Camille Muffat (FRA), 2012
  • GOLD – Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 1:56.91
  • SILVER – Charlotte Bonnet (FRA), 1:57.83
  • BRONZE – Kayla Sanchez (CAN), 1:57.88

The Hong Kong swimming queen Siobhan Haughey snagged gold for her nation tonight in the 200m free, touching in 1:56.91 for another sub-1:57 outing. She was 1:56.05 in Monaco, a time that checked in as the Michigan grad’s 2nd fastest ever and 5th fastest time in the world. This is Haughey’s 2nd gold medal for Hong Kong now in the history of the Mare Nostrum Tour.

France’s Charlotte Bonnet produced a time of 1:57.83 to hold off Canadian Kayla Sanchez who touched just .05 later in 1:57.88.

Hosszu finished with the silver in Monaco in 1:57.72, but was shut out of the medals tonight, finishing in 4th in 1:58.64.

MEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Tour Record – 1:44.88, Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
• Canet Record – 1:44.97, Ian Thorpe (AUS), 2009
  • GOLD – Tom Dean (GBR), 1:47.39
  • SILVER – Fernando Scheffer (BRA), 1:47.99
  • BRONZE – Duncan Scott (GBR), 1:48.02

British boys went 1&3 in this 200m free race, led by Tom Dean. Dean took gold in 1:47.39, the 3rd best time of the Bath swimmer’s young career. Only his 1:46.86 from this year’s British Championships and his 1:47.38 from this year’s BUCS have been faster, so it was a good night for the World Championships bound man.

Brazilian Fernando Scheffer clocked 1:47.99 for silver, off his 1:45.51 from the Brazilian Open that situates him as the #2 swimmer in the world this season.

Then there was Duncan Scott, the Stirling stand out from Scotland who punched 1:48.02, although he sits #4 in the world with his 1:45.63 that gave him the British national title.