2023 Mare Nostrum – Canet: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2023 MARE NOSTRUM CANET

• Saturday, May 13th & Sunday, May 14th
• Canet-en-Roussillon, France
• LCM (50m)
• World Championships Qualifier
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• SwimSwam Preview
• Day 1 Prelims Recap
• Live Results
• Live Stream

We already saw some speedy swims this morning during the heats of day one of the Mare Nostrum Tour in Canet.

Sarah Sjostrom topped the women’s 50m free prelims with a time of 24.46 but Australia’s Cate Campbell and fellow Swede Michelle Coleman will be hunting her down with morning outings of 24.99 each.

American Michael Andrew will put his new freestyle technique on display as he tries to upgrade his 4th-seeded 50m free time of 22.45 to gold. Positioned in lane 4, however, is Dutch Olympic finalist Thom de Boer who clocked 22.22 this morning while Florent Manaudou of France is also right there with his morning result of 22.37.

A battle will also be fought in the women’s 100m breast, as Irish national record holder Mona McSharry will try to hold off the 4th fastest performer in the world this season Reona Aoki of Japan.

Additional names to watch include Siobhan Haughey (HKG) and Marrit Steenbergen (NED) in the women’s 200m free, So Ogata (JPN) in the men’s 400m IM, Ippei Watanabe (JPN) in the men’s 100m breast.

WOMEN’S 50 BACK – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 27.37, Anastasia Fesikova (RUS) 2018
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 28.22

GOLD – Analia Pigree (FRA), 27.92
SILVER – Ingrid Wilm (CAN), 28.10
BRONZE – Maaide de Waard (NED), 28.18

The women’s 50m back kicked off day one action in Canet, with domestic athlete Analia Pigree clocking 27.92 for gold.

She represented the sole swimmer to get under 28 seconds, as Canadian Ingrid Wilm snagged silver in 28.10. Dutch woman Maaike de Waard rounded out the top 3 in 28.18.

De Waard has been as quick as 28.10 this season while both Pigree’s and Wilm’s outings now check in as their season-bests.

MEN’S 50 BACK – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 24.45, Michael Andrew (USA) 2019
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 25.16

GOLD – Shane Ryan (IRL), 25.58
SILVER – Adrian Santos (ESP), 25.79
BRONZE – Cameron Brooker (GBR), 25.99

Irish national record holder Shane Ryan got his hand on the wall first in this men’s 50m back, stopping the clock in a mark of 25.58.

That held off runner-up Adrian Santos of Spain who secured silver in 25.79 while British backstroke Cameron Brooker claimed bronze in 25.99.

Ryan earned the Irish national title last month at his nation’s championships in a time of 25.09 while Santos’ season-best rests at the 25.39 he produced last month at the Spanish Junior Championships. Brooker took 3rd at this year’s British Championships in a mark of 25.23.

WOMEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 23.85, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) 2017
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 25.04

GOLD – Sarah Sjotrom (SWE), 24.02
SILVER – Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 24.56
BRONZE – Michelle Coleman (SWE), 24.71

Swedish multi-Olympic medalist Sarah Sjostrom scorched a winning time of 24.02 to beat this women’s 50m free field by over half a second.

Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey rocketed up from her 6th-seeded 25.20 to a new national record tonight. She dropped well over half a second to wind up with the silver in 24.56, a Hong Kong standard. Her result overtook the 25.59 she put up 2 years ago.

Swede Michelle Coleman also landed on the podium in 24.71 as tonight’s bronze medalist, shaving .01 off the 24.72 she clocked last month.

Sjostrom owns the top time in the world this season with the 23.92 marker she logged at last month’s Stockholm Open. She remains the sole swimmer thus far with a sub-24 second outing to her credit this season.

For perspective, Sjostrom took gold at the 2022 World Championships in a time of 23.98 and her silver medal from Tokyo was earned in 24.07.

Also of note from tonight’s race, Australian Olympic medalist Cate Campbell reaped 4th place in 24.77 while French speedster Beryl Gastaldello was also under the 25-second barrier in 24.84 as the 5th place performer.

MEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 21.31, Bruno Fratus (BRA) 2019
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 22.12

GOLD – Florent Manaudou (FRA), 22.18
SILVER – Michael Andrew (USA), 22.22
BRONZE – Dylan Carter (TTO), 22.25

Domestic Olympian Florent Manaudou powered his way to the wall first in the men’s 50m free, punching a time of 22.18 as the gold medalist.

That’s a solid effort for the 32-year-old who owns one sub-22 second result to his credit thus far this season, courtesy of the 21.98 he logged at last month’s Belgian Open Championships.

American 24-year-old Michael Andrew reaped silver this evening in 22.22, although he’s been quicker this season in 21.87 to currently rank 8th in the world. We reported how Andrew is trying out a revised freestyle swim stroke this season.

Trinidad & Tobago’s standout Dylan Carter fought his way into this final, tying Norway’s newly-minted national record holder Nicholas Lia in the heats. Both touched in 22.63 as the 8th seed, which brought on a swim-off.

In that head-to-head, Carter clocked 22.15 to Lia’s 22.40 to make it into this final and upgrade himself onto the podium in bronze in 22.25.

WOMEN’S 800 FREE – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 8:19.86, Rebecca Adlington (GBR) 2012
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 8:37.90

GOLD – Agostina Hein (ARG), 8:29.62
SILVER – Tamila Holub (POR), 8:33.96
BRONZE – Beatriz Dizotti (BRA), 8:36.22

Two swimmers from below the equator landed on the podium this evening, including Agostina Hein from Argentina.

Hein touched in 8:29.62 to grab the gold, holding a healthy advantage over runner-up Tamila Holub of Portugal. Holub earned runner-up status in 8:33.96 while Brazilian Beatriz Dizotti bagged bronze in 8:36.22.

Hein just turned 15 years of age last month and already is making major strides in this event. Her 8free result here crushed her previous personal best of 8:43.55 logged just this past March at the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale.

Her performance this evening would rank Hein 16th among all-time U.S. girls aged 15-16 in this event.

MEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 3:41.71, Ian Thorpe (AUS) 2001
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 3:48.15

GOLD – Henrik Christiansen (NOR), 3:50.53
SILVER – Kregor Zirk (EST), 3:50.58
BRONZE – Krzysztof Chmielewski (POL), 3:50.99

This extremely tight men’s 400m free saw the top 3 finishers battle to the wall with less than half a second separating the trio.

Norwegian Olympian Henrik Christiansen got there first, reaping gold in 3:50.53 while Estonian ace Kregor Zirk was just a hair behind in 3:50.58.

Polish teenager Krzysztof Chmielewski also landed on the podium under 3:51 in 3:50.99 for bronze.

Christiansen competed at the Bergen Swim Festival last month where he produced a gold medal-worthy time of 3:50.74, so tonight’s effort sliced .21 off of that previous outing.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 2:06.66, Emily Seebohm (AUS) 2017
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 2:11.08

GOLD – Emma Terebo (FRA), 2:12.10
SILVER – Pauline Mahieu (FRA), 2:12.66
BRONZE – Laura Bernat (POL), 2:13.80

This women’s 200m back was on the subdued side, as no racer got under the 2:12 barrier in tonight’s final.

French swimmer Emma Terebo earned gold in 2:12.10 to hold a comfortable lead over her countrymate Pauline Mahieu who touched in 2:12.66.

Poland’s Laura Bernat clocked 2:13.80 for bronze.

Terebo owns a lifetime best of 2:11.16 from when she placed 9th in this event at last year’s European Championships.

MEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 1:54.34, Ryosuke Irie (JPN) 2011
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 1:58.07

GOLD – Antoine Herlem (FRA), 1:59.47
SILVER – Brodie Williams (GBR), 2:00.29
BRONZE – Diego Albaladejo (POR), 2:01.44

France got on the board again tonight, courtesy of Antoine Herlem in this men’s 200m back.

Herlem registered the only outing of the field under the 2:00 threshold, putting up a result of 1:59.47 for gold.

Behind him was Commonwealth Games champion Brodie Williams, hitting 2:00.29 for silver. That was well off the 1:57.18 he scored at the British Swimming Championships last month to take the silver there in Sheffield.

Portuguese swimmer Diego Albaladejo rounded out tonight’s top 3 finishers in 2:01.44.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 1:04.82, Yulia Efimova (RUS) 2017
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 1:07.35

GOLD – Mona McSharry (IRL), 1:06.54
SILVER – Macarena Ceballos (ARG), 1:07.68
BRONZE – Reona Aoki (JPN), 1:07.72

Irish national record holder Mona McSharry looked smooth and in control en route to winning this women’s 100m breast.

The 22-year-old University of Tennessee athlete clocked a time of 1:06.54 to take the event by over a second, coming within range of her newly-minted national record produced last month. It was at those Irish National Championships where McSharry logged a time of 1:06.04 for a new NR, ranking 5th in the world this season as a result.

Argentine swimmer Macarena Ceballos snagged silver this evening in a time of 1:07.68 while Japanese star Reona Aoki downgraded her 2nd seed to earn bronze in 1:07.72.

MEN’S 100 BREAST – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 58.15, Adam Peaty (GBR) 2019
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 59.75

GOLD – David Wiekiera (POL), 1:00.79
SILVER – Ippei Watanabe (JPN), 1:00.96
BRONZE – Darragh Greene (IRL), 1:01.83

No man got under the minute barrier in this 100m breast as David Wiekiera of Poland touched the wall in 1:00.79. That was enough to hold off the top seed out of the heats, Ippei Watanabe of Japan, however.

Despite landing lane 4 this morning with a prelims swim of 1:00.59, Watanabe added time to settle for silver in 1:00.96. Irish national record holder Darragh Greene also landed on the podium in 1:01.83 for bronze.

Watanabe owns a season-best of 59.52 produced at last month’s Japan Championships which rendered him the national champion in this event

WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 2:08.49, Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 2017
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 2:12.98

GOLD – Marrit Steenbergen (NED), 2:11.06
SILVER – Fantine Lesaffre (FRA), 2:11.86
BRONZE – Mio Narita (JPN), 2:11.93

Versatile Dutch Olympian Marrit Steenbergen wound up on top of this women’s 200m IM in a time of 2:11.06, with French athlete Fantine Lesaffre scoring silver in 2:11.86. 16-year-old Mio Narita rounded out the podium in 2:11.93.

23-year-old Steenbergen produced a new Dutch national record of 2:09.16 in this event from just last month at the Eindhoven Qualification Meet. That outing rendered her the 5th swiftest performer in the world thus far this season.

Narita has also been quicker thus far, registering a mark of 2:10.91 to take the national title at April’s Japan Championships.

MEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 4:07.96, Laszlo Cseh (HUN) 2008
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 4:17.48

GOLD – So Ogata (JPN), 4:13.67
SILVER – Riku Yamaguchi (JPN), 4:13.68
BRONZE – Tomoyuki Matsuhita (JPN), 4:17.92

Japan put on an absolute clinic in this men’s 400m IM, as the threesome of So Ogata, Riku Yamaguchi and Tomoyuki Matsushita took a monopoly on the podium in the night’s race.

Ogata grabbed gold in an impressive time of 4:13.67, only holding off his teammate Yamaguchi by the narrowest margin of .01. Yamaguchi settled for silver in 4:13.68 while Matsushita touched in 4:17.92.

Remarkably, Ogata’s time tonight laid waste to the 4:15.44 result he posted at the Japan Championships. That rendered the 20-year-old as the 5th-place finisher, with Yamaguchi’s time tonight also beating his performance there. In Tokyo, Yamaguchi finished 7th in 4:15.50.

Ogata owns a lifetime best of 4:12.24 in this event, a time he earned in 2022 to rank as Japan’s 9th swiftest performer in history.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 55.76, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) 2017
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 58.33

GOLD – Hiroko Makino (JPN), 58.61
SILVER – Helena Bach (DEN), 58.86
BRONZE – Kim Busch (NED), 59.22

Two women dipped under the 59-second threshold in the 100m fly, led by Japan’s Hiroko Makino. Makino touched in 58.61 to keep Danish swimmer Helena Bach at bay through the finish.

Bach wrangled up silver in 58.86 while the Netherlands’ Kim Busch earned bronze in 59.22.

Makino hit a time of 57.73 last month to rank 15th in the world while Bach’s time was just off her season-best of 58.71.

MEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 50.95, Kristof Milak (HUN) 2021
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 51.96

GOLD – Tomoru Honda (JPN) & Jakub Majerski (POL) 52.14
SILVER –
BRONZE – Adrian Jaskiewicz (POL) 52.38

We saw our first and only tie of the evening, with Japan’s Tomoru Honda and Poland’s Jakub Majerski clocking identical efforts of 52.14 to be co-champions in this men’s 100m fly race.

Honda opened in 24.89 to fall behind Majerski’s 24.50 opening 50m, but Honda hit 27.25 on the back half to Majerski’s 27.64 to make up ground and take co-gold.

Adrian Jaskiewicz (POL) was also on the podium in 52.38 for bronze.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 1:54.66, Camille Muffat (FRA) 2012
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 1:58.66

GOLD – Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 1:55.42
SILVER – Valentine Dumont (BEL), 1:58.26
BRONZE – Francisca-Soares Martins (POR), 1:58.55

Not far removed from her newly-minted national record in the 50m free, Siobhan Haughey dove back in for the 200m freestyle.

Haughey ripped a winning time of 1:55.42 to scorch the field by 3 seconds en route to putting up her best time of the season.

Entering this meet, Haughey’s season-best rested at the 1:55.53 she posted at the Pro Swim Series in March. This evening she managed to shave .11 off of that effort to now rank 6th in the world this season.

MEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record – 1:44.88, Paul Bidermann (GER) 2009
• World Championships ‘A’ cut – 1:47.06

GOLD – Katsuhiro Matsumoto (JPN), 1:47.33
SILVER – Luiz Melo (BRA), 1:48.66
BRONZE – Hadrian Salvan (FRA), 1:48.62

There weren’t any fireworks in the men’s 200m free but Katsuhiro Matsumoto of Japan indeed got the job done in a time of 1:47.33.

The 26-year-old national record holder already threw down a season-best mark of 1:44.98 at last month’s Japan Championships to rank 5th in the world this season.

Brazilian Luiz Melo secured silver in 1:48.66 while France’s Hadrian Salvan earned bronze in 1:48.62.