2024 Mare Nostrum Monaco: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2024 Mare Nostrum Tour – Monaco

• June 1-2, 2024
• Prince Albert II Pool at the Stadium Louis II
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet central
• Results
• Live stream ($)

Day 1 Finals Heat Sheet

The penultimate day of the 2024 Mare Nostrum Tour continues with 11 A-finals slated for Saturday night in Monaco.

Among the stars competing tonight is world record holder Kristof Milak, who’s looking to bounce back in his signature 200 butterfly race after suffering his first defeat since 2020 on Thursday in Barcelona, Spain. The 24-year-old Hungarian clocked a time of 1:56.78 in the 200 fly prelims this morning, exactly a second behind Japan’s Tomoru Honda (1:55.78).

Also on tonight’s schedule are finals of the men’s 400 free, women’s 400 IM, men’s 200 breast, women’s 100 breast, men’s 100 free, women’s 200 free, men’s 200 fly, women’s 100 fly, men’s 100 back, women’s 200 back, and men’s 200 IM. Stay tuned for live updates below:

Men’s 400 Free – Final

• World record: 3:40.07 – Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
• Mare Nostrum record: 3:41.71 – Ian Thorpe (AUS), 2001
• Monaco record: 3:41.71 – Ian Thorpe (AUS), 2001

Top 8:

1. Kim Woomin (KOR) – 3:42.42
2. Lee Hojoon (KOR) – 3:48.43
3. Marco de Tullio (ITA) – 3:49.17
4. Kieran Bird (GBR) – 3:51.20
5. Ricky Lottering (RSA) – 3:56.88
6. Jerald Lium (SGP) – 4:00.15
7. Pablo Collin (FRA) – 4:03.82
8. Mats Baradat (FRA) – 4:06.30

Reigning world champion Kim Woomin of South Korea opened the session with a 400 free victory in a personal-best 3:42.42, faster than his winning time from Doha in February (3:42.71). The 22-year-old is now within a second of Park Tae-Hwan‘s national record of 3:41.53 from 2010.

Kim remains ranked 4th in the world this season behind the Australian duo of Sam Short (3:41.64) and Elijah Winnington (3:41.41) and Germany’s Lukas Maertens (3:40.33).

Korean countrymate Lee Hojoon earned the runner-up finish in 3:48.43, just a hair off his personal-best 3:48.28 from the 2018 Asian Games. The 23-year-old is another key piece of Korea’s 4×200 free relay that is aiming for the podium this summer in Paris.

Italy’s Marco de Tullio rounded out the podium with a 3rd-place showing in 3:49.17, well of his personal-best 3:44.14 from the 2022 World Championships.

Women’s 400 IM – Final

• World record: 4:24.38 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2024
• Mare Nostrum record: 4:30.75 – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2016
• Monaco record: 4:32.87 – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2019

Top 8:

1. Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) – 4:34.87
2. Mio Narita (JPN) – 4:37.48
3. Shiho Matsumoto (JPN) – 4:41.69
4. Ageha Tanigawa (JPN) – 4:48.74
5. Mikayla Tan (SGP) – 4:55.54
6. Lai-Wa Ng (HKG) – 4:56.03
7. Lea Maric (FRA) – 5:25.07

Anastasia Gorbenko continued her record-breaking tear by lowering her own Israeli standard in the 400 IM for the third time on this year’s Mare Nostrum Tour. The 20-year-old established the record at 4:36.95 during the first stop, took it down to 4:36.57 at the second stop, and obliterated her lifetime best with a 4:34.87 here in Monaco.

That makes Gorbenko the fifth-fastest performer in the world this season behind Freya Colbert (4:34.01), Katie Grimes (4:32.45), Kaylee McKeown (4:28.22), and world record holder Summer McIntosh (4:24.34).

It only took 4:37.37 to make the 400 IM final at the Tokyo Olympics a few years ago, but nine women have already been under 4:36 this season.

Mio Narita claimed 2nd place in 4:37.48, a couple seconds off her lifetime best. The 17-year-old rising star has been as fast as 4:35.40 en route to victory at Japanese Olympic Trials in March.

Men’s 200 Breast – Final

• World record: 2:05.48 – Qin Haiyang (CHN), 2023
• Mare Nostrum record: 2:07.23 – Arno Kamminga (NED) – 2021
• Monaco record: 2:07.56 – Ippei Watanabe (JPN), 2018

Top 8:

1. Ippei Watanabe (JPN) – 2:07.82
2. Yu Hanaguruma (JPN) – 2:08.34
3. Caspar Corbeau (NED) – 2:08.95
4. Arno Kamminga (NED) – 2:09.96
5. Adam-John Chillingworth (HKG) – 2:11.57
6. Denis Petrashov (KGZ) – 2:14.35
7. Andres Puente (MEX) – 2:15.26
8. Alex Castejon Ramirez (ESP) – 2:16.50

Ippei Watanabe scared his own Mare Nostrum Monaco record with a 200 breast win in 2:07.82, jut about a second off his personal-best 2:06.67 from 2017. The 27-year-old Japanese veteran touched just a couple tenths behind his meet standard of 2:07.56 from 2018.

Japan’s Yu Hanaguruma held off the Dutch pair of Caspar Corbeau (2:08.95) and Arno Kamminga (2:09.96) for 2nd place with a time of 2:08.34. Hanaguruma owns a lifetime best of 2:07.07 from March’s Japanese Olympic Trials, where he also placed 2nd behind Watanabe (2:06.94).

Women’s 100 Breast – Final

• World record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King (USA), 2017
• Mare Nostrum record: 1:04.82 – Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 2017
• Monaco record: 1:05.20 – Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2013

Top 8:

1. Tes Schouten (NED) – 1:06.79
2. Reona Aoki (JPN) – 1:07.48
3. Skyler Smith (USA) – 1:07.52
4. Letitia Sim (SGP) – 1:07.60
5. Kotryna Teterevkova (LTU) – 1:08.69
6. Emily-Marie Santos Silva (PAN) – 1:09.17
7. Francesca Zucca (ITA) – 1:09.38

Tes Schouten captured the 100 breast crown in 1:06.79, just about a second off her personal-best 1:05.71 from last April. The 23-year-old Dutchwoman owns a season best of 1:05.82 from February’s World Championships, where she won silver.

There was a tight battle for 2nd place behind Schouten. Japan’s Reona Aoki (1:07.48) eked past Skyler Smith (1:07.52) and Singapore’s Letitia Sim (1:07.60) by just .12 seconds. A rising UNC senior, Smith broke the 1:08 barrier for the first time, dropping half a second off her previous-best 1:08.02 from the U.S. Open last December.

Men’s 100 Free – Final

• World record: 46.80 – Pan Zhanle (CHN), 2024
• Mare Nostrum record: 48.08 – Nathan Adrian (USA), 2014
• Monaco record: 48.21 – Alexander Popov (RUS), 1994

Top 8:

1. Hwang Sunwoo (KOR) – 47.91 *Mare Nostrum record
2. Tom Dean (GBR) – 48.67
3. Sean Niewold (NED) – 49.08
4. Alberto Mestre (VEN) – 49.47
5. Ralph Daleiden Ciuferri (LUX) – 49.54
6. Charles Rihoux (FRA) – 49.55
7. Sergio de Celis (ESP) – 49.78
8. Adam Jaszo (HUN) – 50.38

South Korean freestyle ace Hwang Sunwoo toppled a pair of Mare Nostrum records held by legendary swimmers with his 100 free win in 47.91. The 21-year-old took down the Mare Nostrum Monaco record belonging to Russia’s Alexander Popov from way back in 1994 along with the overall Mare Nostrum Tour mark that Olympic champion Nathan Adrian held for a decade since 2014.

Hwang now ranks 12th in the world this season, dipping under the 48-second barrier again after a 47.93 at February’s World Championships. He has been as fast as 47.56 at the Tokyo Olympics.

British sprinter Tom Dean earned a runner-up finish in 48.67. The 24-year-old reached the wall within a second of his personal-best 47.83 from the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Women’s 200 Free – Final

• World record: 1:52.85 – Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS), 2023
• Mare Nostrum record: 1:54.57 – Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 2024
• Monaco record: 1:55.03 – Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 2023

Top 8:

1. Siobhan Haughey (HKG) – 1:54.53
2. Freya Anderson (GBR) – 1:58.45
3. Francisca Martins (POR) – 1:59.13
4. Nagisa Ikemoto (JPN) – 1:59.39
5. Panna Ugrai (HUN) – 1:59.62
6. Waka Kobori (JPB) – 1:59.70
7. Giulia D’Innocenzo (ITA) – 2:00.31
8. Oceane Carnez (FRA) – 2:02.56

After breaking Camille Muffat‘s 12-year-old Mare Nostrum record a couple days ago in Barcelona (1:54.57), Siobhan Haughey snuck under her own meet standard with a 1:54.53 in Monaco. The 26-year-old Hong Kong standout owns a season best of 1:54.08 from last October that ranks third in the world behind only Summer McIntosh (1:53.69) and Mollie O’Callaghan (1:53.57).

Britain’s Freya Anderson touched 2nd in 1:58.45, a couple seconds off her best time of 1:55.85 from the 2023 World Championships. The 23-year-old Tokyo Olympian earned a discretionary selection to the British Olympic team headed to Paris this summer as a potential freestyle relay member.

Men’s 200 Fly – Final

• World record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak (HUN), 2022
• Mare Nostrum record: 1:53.89 – Kristof Milak (HUN), 2022
• Monaco record: 1:54.22 – Tomoru Honda (JPN), 2023

Top 8:

1. Kristof Milak (HUN) – 1:53.94
2. Tomoru Honda (JPN) – 1:54.65
3. Genki Terakado (JPN) – 1:55.72
4. Noe Ponti (SUI) – 1:55.81
5. Kuan-hung Wang (TPE) – 1:56.31
6. Kim Minseop (KOR) – 1:56.59
7. Kregor Zirk (EST) – 1:57.65
8. Hector Ruvalcaba (MEX) – 1:58.79

After being called out by his coach on Thursday following his first 200 fly loss since 2020, Kristof Milak responded with a statement win in 1:53.94, marking a new season-best time for the world record holder. Not only did the 24-year-old Hungarian beat top qualifier Tomoru Honda (1:54.65) of Japan, but he also erased Honda’s Mare Nostrum Monaco record of 1:54.22 from last year.

Milak posted the fastest back half in the field (59.89) following comments by his coach, Balazs Virth, that Milak has lost endurance due to infrequent training. Only Honda has been faster so far this season at 1:53.15 last September.

Honda placed 2nd in 1:54.65, a second ahead of Japanese countryman Genki Terakado (1:55.72). Swiss sprint specialist Noe Ponti narrowly missed the podium with a 4th-place effort of 1:55.81.

Women’s 100 Fly – Final

• World record: 55.48 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2016
• Mare Nostrum record: 55.76 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
• Monaco record: 56.20 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017

Top 8:

1. Louise Hansson (SWE) – 57.04
2. Marie Wattel (FRA) – 57.90
3. Lilou Ressencourt (FRA) – 58.04
4. Helena Bach (DEN) – 58.33
5. Tessa Giele (NED) – 58.33
6. Hiroko Makino (JPN) – 58.45
7. Anna Ntountounaki (GRE) – 58.73
8. Yui Ohashi (JPN) – 59.88

Louise Hansson won the 100 fly in 57.04, just a tenth off her personal-best 56.94 from the 2024 World Championships, where she took bronze. The 27-year-old Swedish veteran touched about a second ahead of the French duo of Marie Wattel (57.90) and Lilou Ressencourt (58.04).

Ressencourt, a Cal commit (’24), knocked four tenths of a second off her lifetime best from last October en route to the 3rd-place finish.

Men’s 100 Back – Final

• World record: 51.60 – Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 2022
• Mare Nostrum record: 53.00 – Ryosuke Irie (JPN), 2022
• Monaco record: 53.08 – Ryosuke Irie (JPN), 2014

Top 8:

1. Apostolos Christou (GRE) – 53.34
2. Lee Juho (KOR) – 54.01
3. Srihari Nataraj (IND) – 54.82
4. Michele Lamberti (ITA) – 54.83
5. Hidekazu Takehara (JPN) – 54.91
6. Benedek Kovacs (HUN) – 54.98
7. Erikas Grigaitis (LTU) – 55.05
8. Adam Jaszo (HUN) – 55.12

Apostolos Christou cruised to victory in the men’s 100 back with a time of 53.34, scaring Ryosuke Irie‘s decade-old Mare Nostrum Monaco record of 53.08. Christou, a 27-year-old Greek veteran, owns a lifetime best of 52.09 from the 2022 World Championships.

South Korea’s Lee Juho took 2nd place in 54.01, within a second of his personal-best 53.32 from 2022. India’s Srihari Nataraj placed 3rd in 54.82, just a hundredth ahead of Italy’s Michele Lamberti (54.83). Nataraj was about a second off his own national record of 53.77 from 2021.

Women’s 200 Back – Final

• World record: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
• Mare Nostrum record: 2:06.66 – Emily Seehbohm (AUS), 2017
• Monaco record: 2:07.02 – Kathleen Baker (USA), 2018

Top 8:

1. Hannah Pearse (RSA) – 2:11.73
2. Bertille Cousson (FRA) – 2:12.29
3. Katalin Burian (HUN) – 2:12.63
4. Lou-Anne Guiton (FRA) – 2:13.60
5. Anna Conti (ITA) – 2:15.63
6. Giulia Viacava (SRB) – 2:16.47
7. Milla Drakopoulos (RSA) – 2:17.92
8. Levenia Sim (SGP) – 2:20.26

Hannah Pearse emerged victorious in the women’s 100 fly with a winning time of 2:11.73. It marked a new lifetime best for the 21-year-old South African, who shaved a few tenths off her previous-best 2:12.04 from last August. She’s closing in on Melissa Corfe‘s national record of 2:10.03 from 2008.

Men’s 200 IM – Final

• World record: 1:54.00 – Ryan Lochte (USA), 2011
• Mare Nostrum record: 1:56.31 – Hugo Gonzalez (ESP), 2021
• Monaco record: 1:57.43, Matt Sates (RSA), 2022

Top 8:

1. Tom Dean (GBR) – 1:59.36
2. Tomoyuki Matsushita (JPN) – 1:59.50
3. Apostolos Papastamos (GRE) – 2:01.93
4. Erick Gordillo (GUA) – 2:03.58
5. Clement Bidard (FRA) – 2:05.20
6. Max Halbeisen (AUT) – 2:05.67
7. Mathieu Dufraigne (FRA) – 2:06.93
8. Finn Kemp (LUX) – 2:08.49

After placing 2nd in the 100 free (48.67) earlier in the session, Tom Dean rallied past Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita (1:59.50) for a 200 IM victory in 1:59.36.

The 24-year-old Brit owns a best time of 1:56.07 from the 2023 World Championships, where he won bronze. Matsushita was just about a second off his personal-best 1:58.12 from last December.

Men’s 50 Fly – Quarterfinal

• World record: 22.27 – Andriy Govorov (UKR), 2018
• Mare Nostrum record: 22.53 – Andriy Govorov (UKR), 2018
• Monaco record: 22.53 – Andriy Govorov (UKR), 2018

Top 8:

1. Noe Ponti (SUI) – 23.38
2. Thomas Verhoeven (NED) – 23.58
3. Diogo Ribeiro (POR) – 23.67
4. Stergios-marios Bilas (GRE) – 23.77
5. Andrii Govorov (UKR) – 23.86
6. Clement Secchi (FRA) – 23.88
7. Issei Kim (JPN) – 23.95
8. Alberto Lozano Mateos (ESP) – 23.96

Women’s 50 Fly – Quarterfinal

• World record: 24.43 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2014
• Mare Nostrum record: 24.76 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
• Monaco record: 24.89 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2023

Top 8:

1. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 25.21
2. Louise Hansson (SWE) – 26.38
3. Silvia di Pietro (ITA) – 26.54
4. Tessa Giele (NED) – 26.70
5. Hoi-Lam Tam (HKG) – 26.92
6. Emilie Beckmann (DEN) – 27.05
7. Anna Ntountounaki (GRE) – 27.08
8. Helena Bach (DEN) – 27.14

Men’s 50 Back – Quarterfinal

• World record: 23.55 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2023
• Mare Nostrum record: 24.45 – Michael Andrew (USA), 2019
• Monaco record: 24.45 – Michael Andrew (USA), 2019

Top 8:

1. Apostolos Christou (GRE) – 25.12
2. Anastasios Kougkoulos (GRE) – 25.39
3. Kai Van Westering (NED) – 25.50
4. Michele Lamberti (ITA) – 25.71
5. Matteo Brunella (ITA) – 25.82
6. Joao Costa (POR) – 25.89
7. Adam Jaszo (HUN) – 25.95
8. Paul Alves Torres (FRA) – 26.23

Women’s 50 Back – Quarterfinal

• World record: 23.55 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2023
• Mare Nostrum record: 24.45 – Michael Andrew (USA), 2019
• Monaco record: 24.45 – Michael Andrew (USA), 2019

Top 8:

1. Ingrid Wilm (CAN) – 28.02
2. Fanny Teijonsalo (FIN) – 28.67
3. Emma Harvey (BER) – 28.74
4. Mireia Pradell Carrasco (ESP) – 28.89
5. Nina Kost (SUI) – 28.99
6. Milla Drakopoulos (RSA) – 29.12
7. Masniari Wolf (GER) – 29.28
8. Tessa Giele (NED) – 29.47

Men’s 50 Breast – Quarterfinal

• World record: 25.95 – Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017
• Mare Nostrum record: 26.33 – Felipe Lima (BRA), 2019
• Monaco record: 26.33 – Felipe Lima (BRA), 2019

Top 8:

1. Caspar Corbeau (NED) – 27.24
2. Arno Kamminga (NED) – 27.28
3. Taku Taniguchi (JPN) – 27.56
4. Denis Petrashov (KGZ) – 27.74
5. Bernhard Reitshammer (AUT) – 27.83
6. Matthew James Randle (RSA) – 28.47
7. Sebastian Pierre-Louis (GER) – 28.66
8. Mahmoud Mohamed (QAT) – 28.83

Women’s 50 Breast – Quarterfinal

• World record: 25.95 – Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017
• Mare Nostrum record: 26.33 – Felipe Lima (BRA), 2019
• Monaco record: 26.33 – Felipe Lima (BRA), 2019

Top 8:

1. Skyler Smith (USA) – 30.76
2. Reona Aoki (JPN) – 30.96
3. Lara Van Niekerk (RSA) – 31.36
4. Mikaela Goelst (RSA) – 32.17
5. Mia Franco (ITA) – 32.47
6. Lea Maric (FRA) – 35.62

Men’s 50 Free – Quarterfinal

• World record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo (BRA), 2009
• Mare Nostrum record: 21.31 – Bruno Fratus (BRA), 2019
• Monaco record: 21.31 – Bruno Fratus (BRA), 2019

Top 8:

1. Alberto Mestre (VEN) – 21.93
2. Kenzo Simons (NED) – 21.99
3. Renzo Tjon A Joe (NED) – 22.04
4. Ian-Yentou Ho (HKG) – 22.06
5. Eu-Jin-Jonathan Tan (SGP) – 22.22
6. Ji Yuchan (KOR) – 22.30
7. Thom de Boer (NED) – 22.43
8. Dylan Carter (TTO) – 22.54

Women’s 50 Free – Quarterfinal

• World record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo (BRA), 2009
• Mare Nostrum record: 21.31 – Bruno Fratus (BRA), 2019
• Monaco record: 21.31 – Bruno Fratus (BRA), 2019

Top 8:

1. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 23.91
2. Petra Senanszky (HUN) – 24.57
3. Michelle Coleman (SWE) – 24.72
4. Florine Gaspard (BEL) – 24.96
5. Julie-Kepp Jensen (DEN) – 25.06
6. Melanie Henique (FRA) – 25.10
7. Farida Osman (EGY) – 25.18
8. Caitlin-ann de Lange (RSA) – 25.24