2026 Mare Nostrum Canet: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2026 Mare Nostrum Tour — Canet

• Wednesday May 27 — Thursday May 28, 2026
• Canet-en-Roussillon, France
• Prelims at 9 am local (3 a.m. ET)/Finals 5:30 p.m. local (11:30 a.m. ET)
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Psych Sheets
• Meet Central
• Results
• Live Stream

Bonjour, mes amies, et bienvenue au premier jour de natation à Canet pour le Mare Nostrum.

There exhausts my limited French, so we will proceed in English, which can also be considered limited, but solely based on my inability to spell, and to use proper punctuation, and my love of conjunctions and run-on sentences. But enough about me, as we are all here for an exciting day of action in Canet, as the Mare Nostrum tour reaches its midpoint.

After a strong showing in Monaco where he set a new tour record in the 100 fly, Kristof Milak is back. Today he bookends the competition, taking on the 50 fly and 100 free. He’ll have some tough competition in both as he goes up against the likes of Ilya Kharun and Nyls Korstanje in the 50 fly, and trails top seeded Patrick Sammon in the 100 free by over a second. Kharun, like Milak has two swims this session, as he secured the top seed in the 200 fly this morning, the fastest of six swimmers to break 2:00 in prelims.

After a Monaco record in the 100 free last weekend, Marrit Steenbergen returns to the pool in the 100 free as the top seed, posting a 54.10 this morning. She’ll likely be pushed in the final by Siobhan Haughey and Taylor Ruck, the latter of whom, like Milak, is also entered in the 50 fly, where she is the top seed.

The Canadian women had a strong showing this morning, as in addition to Ruck’s top seed in the 50 fly, Ingrid Wilm secured the middle of the pool in the 50 back, and is slated to go up against a strong field including the USA’s Leah Shackley and Analia Pigree, who is bound to have the support of the partisan French crowd. Mary-Sophie Harvey secured another top seed for the Canadians, as she posted the fastest time in the 200 IM this morning.

Distance events make their first appearance this tour, as the women’s 800 free sits int the middle of the program. Simona Quadarella of Italy is the top seed by 11 seconds, but don’t sleep on Erika Fairweather or Agostina Hein, who beat the Italian in the 400 free last weekend, with the Kiwi setting a new Mare Nostrum record.

Women’s 50 Butterfly – Final

• World record: 24.43 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2014
• Mare Nostrum record: 24.76 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
• Canet Record: 24.95 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017

Top 3:

1. Taylor Ruck (CAN) – 26.11
2. Anastasiya Kuliashova (BLR) – 26.13
3. Neza Klancar (SLO) – 26.17

Top-seeded Taylor Ruck of Canada didn’t get out to the strongest of starts as Belarusian Anastasiya Kuliashova looked to be in the lead at the halfway point, but the Canadian slowly reeled her in and nabbed the win by a very small margin, touching her 26.11 to 26.13.

Ruck was 26.17 this morning, so dropped .06, while Kuliashova cut .19 off her prelims times. The pair were joined under 26.50 by Slovenia’s Neza Klancar, who was 26.17 in the final, collecting the bronze medal.

Men’s 50 Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 22.27 – Andriy Govorov (UKR), 2018
• Mare Nostrum record: 22.53 – Andriy Govorov (UKR), 2018
• Canet Record: 22.94– Andriy Govorov (UKR), 2016

Top 3:

1. Ilya Kharun (USA) – 23.00
2. Grigori Pekarski (BLR) – 23.26
3. Kristof Milak (HUN) – 23.27

Representing the United States, Ilya Kharun took the win in the men’s 50 fly, backing up his skins win in the event last weekend. The Arizona state product was slower than he was in Monaco, going 23.00 this evening, as compared to his 22.64 winning time last weekend, but it was still fast enough to get himself to the wall first.

Kharun had the strongest start of the field and had earned himself a big lead at the 25m mark and never looked back. Behind him, however, it was a tight battle between Belarus’s Grigori Pekarski and Hungary’s Kristof Milak. Pekarski, who was just 7th this morning, employed some outside smoke from lane 0 and dropped from a 23.59 to a silver medal-winning time of 23.26, pipping Milak at the line by just .01.

Women’s 50 Backstroke – Final

• World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
• Mare Nostrum record: 27.24 – Kylie Masse (CAN), 2024
• Canet Record: 27.43 – Kylie Masse (CAN), 2024

Top 3:

1. Analie Pigree (Canet 66) – 27.46
2. Ingrid Wilm (Canada) – 27.75
3. Leah Shackley (Wolfpack Elite) – 28.58

With the support of her home club behind her, Canet 66 Natation and France’s Analia Pigree took the win, improving upon her time and seeding from this morning. After posting the 2nd fastest time this morning of 28.50, the 2022 World bronze medalist in this event, Pigree, used the best underwaters in the field to cut over a full second off her time from the morning. She touched the wall in 27.46, just .03 off the Canet record set two years ago, by Kylie Masse.

Top seed, Ingrid Wilm, tried to mount a comeback on Pigree, but ran out of pool space and had to settle for 2nd place with her 27.75, also a strong improvement upon her 28.28 from this morning. Taking third was Wolfpack Elite’s Leah Shackley, who exactly equaled her time from this morning, going 28.58. Both Wilm and Shackley were faster last weekend in the 50 knock-outs, with Shackley ultimately winning with a time of 27.38, ahead of Wilm’s 27.68.

Men’s 50 Backstroke – Final

• World Record: 23.55 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2023
• Mare Nostrum record: 24.45 – Michael Andrew (USA), 2019
• Canet Record: 24.75 – Pieter Coetze (RSA), 2022

Top 3:

1. Pavel Samusenko (Russia) – 24.35
2. Miroslav Knedla (Czech Republic) – 24.43
3. Miron Lifintsev (Russia) – 24.75

Top-seeded Pavel Samusenko pulled his way through the field and emerged victorious in the men’s 50 backstroke, backing up his win in the knockouts from last weekend. The Russian didn’t have the strongest of starts, as Miroslav Knedla of the Czech Republic looked to be the early leader, but the 2025 World silver medalist, Samusenko, pulled ahead in the closing meters to take the win 24.35 to 24.43.

His time undercuts the Canet stop record of Pieter Coetze by nearly half a second, and while his time is .10 under Michael Andrew‘s Mare Nostrum Record, it is slower than both his semifinal (24.23) and final time (24.29) from the knockout last weekend. Knedla, who had to settle for the silver, was 2nd last weekend as well, going 24.55 and 24.57 in the semifinal and final, respectively.

Women’s 800 Freestyle – Fastest Heat

• World Record: 8:04.12 – Katie Ledecky (USA), 2025
• Mare Nostrum Record: 8:19.86 – Rebecca Adlington (GBR), 2012
• Canet Record: 8:20.68 – Jazmin Carlin (GBR), 2014

Top 3:

1.  Simona Quadarella (Circolo Canottieri Aniene) – 8:20.54 ***CANET RECORD***
2.  Erika Fairweather (New Zealand) – 8:23.19
3. Agostina Hein (Argentina) – 8:24.23

Italy’s Simona Quadarella looked to be locked in a battle with Argentina’s Agostina Hein and New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather over the first 100, but with each lap, the Italian slowly shed her competitors and by the halfway point had dropped Hein.

Flipping at the 400 turn in 4:09.28, with Fairweather back at 4:09.60, Quadarella’s distance pedigree kicked into gear as the Italian continued her 31 mid splits, while Fairweather started slipping back into the 32 lows, and by the 600 meter mark, the difference had ballooned to nearly three seconds. Quadarella, then cruised home, touching the wall in 8:20.54, breaking the 12-year-old Canet record set by Jazmin Carlin of Great Britain. Her time is a new season best for the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist, but it keeps her 6th in the world.

Fairweather, for her part, used a strong last 50 of 29.30 to remain in 2nd, touching the wall in 8:23.19, with Hein taking 3rd in 8:24.23. The Kiwi’s time jumps her up to 9th in the World this year, while Hein remains 8th thanks to her 8:22.01 from the South American Youth Games

Men’s 400 Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 3:39.96 – Lukas Märtens (GER), 2025
• Mare Nostrum record: 3:41.71 – Ian Thorpe (AUS), 2001
• Canet Record: 3:46.60 – Ahmed Jaouadi (TUN), 2025

Top 3:

1. Victor Johansson (Sweden) – 3:46.77
2. Macro De Tullio (Circolo Canottierei Aniene) – 3:49.99
3. Khiew Hoe-Yean (Malaysia) – 3:52.61

This race was all Victor Johansson, as the Swede backed up his win from Monaco, with a near equal time. Out in 1:52.57, and with a lead of 1.38 over Italy’s Marco De Tullio, Johansson continued to produce 28 mid splits for the next four 50s, touching the wall in a time of 3:46.77, just .20 off his winning time from last weekend. The 18th fastest performer so far this year, Johansson came within .17 of breaking the Canet record set last year by Ahmed Jaouadi. After the win, Johansson, who is doing all three stops for the first time, said, “So far so good, two out of two, I’m having so much fun.”

De Tullio, for his part, took 2nd, an improvement of one place from Monaco, and dropped under 3:50, improving from 3:50.90 to 3:49.99 over the past few days. Malaysia’s Khiew Hoe-Yean took 3rd in a time of 3:52.61.

Women’s 100 Breaststroke- Final

• World Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King (USA), 2017
• Mare Nostrum record: 1:04.82 – Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 2017
• Canet Record: 1:04.82 – Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 2017

Top 3: 

1. McKenzie Siroky (University of Tennessee) – 1:06.31
2. Alexanne LePage (Canada) – 1:06.42
3. Evgeniia Chikunova (Russia) – 1:07.02

The USA’s McKenzie Siroky trailed Canada’s Alexanne LePage at the 50 turn with LePage touching at 31.59 to Siroky 31.65, but the American used a strong back half to pull herself ahead and touched the wall in a time of 1:06.31. For the Tennessee swimmer, it’s her 2nd time under the 1:07 barrier as she was 1:06.95 this morning, earning the top seed. The time ranks the American as the 8th fastest in the world, and as the top American, undercutting Kate Douglass’s 1:06.41 by .10.LePage, who came home in 34.83, jumped up the rankings as well and now sits 13th in the world.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Final

• World Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty, Great Britain (2019)
• Mare Nostrum Record: 58.15 – Adam Peaty, Great Britain (2019)
• Canet Record: 58.92 – Adam Peaty (GBR), 2019

Top 3:

1. Ivan Kozhakin (Russia) – 59.63
2. Kirill Prigoda (Russia) – 59.82
3. Melvin Imoudu (Potsdamer SV) – 59.88

Two swimmers were under the 1:00 minute barrier this morning, but this evening, three swimmers undercut that mark, with Russia’s Ivan Kozhakin taking the win over the more senior Kirill Prigoda. Kozhakin trailed Prigoda by nearly half a second, 27.94 to 27.52, but used a strong turn and pull-out to set himself for a run to the finishing wall, where he pipped his countryman, 59.63 to 59.82, out-splitting Prigoda on the last 50, 31.69 to 32.30. Both Kozhakin and Prigoda were faster than they were last weekend, with Kozhakin winning in Monaco in 59.68, while Prigoda took 3rd in 1:00.09

Kozhakin wasn’t the fastest home, as that honor goes to Melvin Imoudu, but the German, who closed in 31.68, was out much slower and ran out of room to run down Prigoda, earning 3rd with his time of 59.88.

Women’s 200 IM – Final

• World Record: 2:05.70 – Summer McIntosh, Canada (2025)
• Mare Nostrum Record: 2:08.49 – Katinka Hosszu, Hungary (2017)
• Canet Record: 2:08.57 – Katinka Hosszu, Hungary (2017)

Top 3

1. Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAMO) – 2:09.20
2. Agostina Hein (Argentia) – 2:11.42
3. Emma Carrasco (Spain) – 2:11.82

It was another win for Canada as Mary-Sophie Harvey added another 200 IM Mare Nostrum title to her name, after emerging victorious last weekend in Monaco. The Canadian chopped more than half a second off her time, going 2:09.20 this evening. Her time this evening jumps her up from 9th in the World this season to 6th, displacing Australia’s Kaylee McKeown.

Harvey was tied with Hein at the first turn, turning to the backstroke at equal 28.43, but the Canadian’s middle 100 was too much for the Argentine star, as Harvey’s 32.27 and 37.49 gave the 2025 World Bronze medalist a lead of over three seconds, which was too much for Hein to overcome, with the 800 free bronze medalists from earlier in the session taking the silver in 2:11.42. The silver wasn’t handed to her as she had to use a 30.08 to pass both Emma Carrasco and Rebecca Meder to earn her spot on the podium.

Men’s 400 IM – Final

• World Record: 4:02.50 – Leon Marchand, France (2023)
• Mare Nostrum Record: 4:07.96 – Laszlo Cseh, Hungary (2008)
• Canet Record: 4:07.96 – Laszlo Cseh, Hungary (2008)

Top 3

1. Gabor Zombori (Hungary) – 4:16.88
2. Diego Mira Albaladejo (Spain) – 4:19.73
3. Albero Hernandez Garcia (CN Sant Andreu) – 4:22.58

Despite trailing by nearly three seconds at the halfway point, Hungary’s Gabor Zombori didn’t panic and used a strong back half to earn himself another 400 IM win on the Mare Nostrum Tour. The Hungarian, who was 2:05.07 after the backstroke, was well off of Diego Mira Albaladejo’s hip as the Spaniard hit the wall at 2:02.10, but just a 50 into the breaststroke leg, Zombori had pulled himself to within a second.

Over the next 50, Zombori had established himself firmly in the lead and never looked back, closing in 59.27 to take the win in 4:16.88, just .20 off his winning time from Monaco. Mira Albaladejo paid for his early speed, closing in 1:16.40 and 1:01.23, but had enough of a lead on his compatriot Alberto Garcia Hernandez to take silver in 4:19.73.

Women’s 200 Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 2:01.81 – Liu Zige, China (2009)
• Mare Nostrum Record: 2:06.70 – Suzuka Hasegawa, Japan (2017)
• Canet Record: 2:06.94 – Suzuka Hasegawa, Japan (2017)

Top 3

1. Helena-Rosendahl Bach (Aalborg Swommeklub) – 2:08.46
2. Lilou Ressencourt (Olympic Nice Natation) – 2:08.82
3. Julia Pujadas Rusinol (Spain) – 2:11.48

Despite finishing .80 faster than her time from Monaco, France’s Lilou Ressencourt emerged just shy of repeating as winner as the Nice-based swimmer ran out of room to run down early leader Helena Rosendahl Bach.

Bach, a 2024 World Silver medalist in this event, was out .20 faster at the 50 and by the 100 was nearly half a second ahead of Ressencourt, with the pair hitting the wall at 1:00.86 and 1:01.30 respectively. Bach added a furth .14 on the next 50, and looked to be in control of the race, but Ressencourt had other plans as the Frenchwoman used the field’s only sub-34 last 50 to try to run down the Dane, falling just short as she earned the silver with a time of 2:08.82, with the Dane winning in 2:08.46.

It’s still a strong performance for the Frenchwoman as she was 2:09.62 last weekend, and now ranks 25th in the world this season. Bach’s time would have placed her 23rd, had she not been 2:07.47 back in April, which ranks her 10th.

Men’s 200 Butterfly – Final

• World record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak (HUN), 2022
• Mare Nostrum record: 1:53.89 – Kristof Milak (HUN), 2022
• Canet Record: 1:54.58 – Tomoru Honda (JPN), 2024

Top 3

1. Gabe Jett (Cal Aquatics) – 1:55.95
2. Alberto Razzetti (Italy) – 1:56.32
3. Ilya Kharun (Sun Devil Swimming) – 1:56.63

Gabe Jett’s risky bet of early speed being easy speed paid off as the American and Cal Bear held on to win the 200 fly, improving both in time and in place over his silver medal performance of 1:56.85 from last weekend. The American produced the lone sub-1:56 time of the field as he hit the wall in a winning time of 1:55.95.

In a strong field that contained the likes of Ilya Kharun, Richard Marton, and Alberto Razzetti, Jett was out well in front, hitting the 100 wall in 55.64, the lone swimmer under 56. Hitting an even 30.00 on the 3rd 50, Jett had a near second lead on Italy’s Razzetti and 1.66 over Kharun, but the race was far from over as the pair surged to close on the American. Jett struggled a little, splitting 30.31, but had built enough of a lead to hold off Razzetti’s 29.73 and Kharun’s 29.33 last 50 to take the win.

While strong performances from the trio, they all have been faster this season, with Razzetti’s 1:54.99 from April (9th) putting him ahead of Jett’s 1:55.07 from the Westmont PSS (t-11th), and Kharun’s 1:55.71 (18th) from last year’s US Open.

Women’s 200 Backstroke – Final

• World record: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
• Mare Nostrum record: 2:06.66 – Emily Seehbohm (AUS), 2017
• Canet Record: 2:06.66 – Emily Seehbohm (AUS), 2017

Top 3:

1. Leah Shackley (Wolfpack Elite) – 2:10.63
2. Pauline Mahieu (Canet 66 Natation) – 2:11.04
3. Estella Tonrath (Spain) – 2:11.12

It was another strong performance from the USA’s Leah Shackley as the NC State product doubled up on 200 back wins, adding this title to her win in Monaco. She was a little slower this session, adding .04 to her 2:10.59 from last weekend, but her 2:10.63 was more than enough to hold off crowd favorite Pauline Mahieu and Spain’s Estella Tonrath.

Out in 1:02.22, the lone sub-1:03 time in the field, let alone sub-1:03.50, Shackley looked to be in firm control of the race at the 100 meter mark and even through the last turn, but cracks started to appear as both Mahieu and Tonrath surged on the back half. Like Jett in the men’s 200 fly, Shackley’s early speed was enough to secure the win as both the French and Spanish swimmers’ last 50s of 33.19 and 32.46 were just shy of what was necessary to catch Shackley and her 34.58 last 50.

The American appears to play with some race strategies, as in Monaco, she was out a full second slower (1:03.43), but closed more than a full second faster, 33.10 to her 34.58 today.

Men’s 200 Backstroke – Final

• World Record: 1:51.92 – Aaron Piersol, United States (2009)
• Mare Nostrum Record: 1:54.34 – Ryosuke Irie, Japan (2011)
• Canet Record: 1:54.54 – Ryosuke Irie, Japan (2011)

Top 3: 

1. Jan Cejka (Czech Republic) – 1:56.26
2. John Shortt (National Centre Limerick) – 1:56.74
3. Antoine Herlem (Dauphins Toulouse OEC) – 1:59.01

Czechia’s Jan Cejka improved both in place and time as he improved upon his silver medal from Monaco this evening, capturing the gold in a time of 1:56.26, not only bettering his 1:57.06 from last weekend but also Roman Mityukov’s winning time of 1:56.36.

Cejka, now ranking just outside the world’s top 10 at 12th, took the race out quickly, opening in 57.20, the field’s lone sub-58. While the previous two finals’ winners had their wobbles on the last 50, Cejka looked to be a little more in control as he was 30.12 on the 3rd 50 before recoveing for a blistering last length of 28.94, to put away any chance of Ireland’s John Shortt running him down in the end, as the Irishman, closed in 29.03 to earn the silver in a time of 1:56.74

Women’s 100 Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 51.71 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2017)
• Mare Nostrum Record: 52.08 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2017)
• Canet Record: 52.08 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2017)

Top 3: 

1. Marrit Steenbergen (Netherlands) – 51.86 ***NEW MARE NOSTRUM RECORD***
2. Siobhan Haughey (Hong Kong) – 52.36
3. Taylor Ruck (Canada) – 54.15

Not that there hasn’t been some fast swimming already this session, as multiple Canet Meet records have fallen by the wayside, but Marrit Steenbergen electrified both the crowd and color commentators alike, with the Dutchwoman smashing into the sub-52 club, becoming the #2 fastest performer of all time.

After a heralded 52.13, the fastest time since 2023, Steenbergen was quickly displaced in that spot by the USA’s Anna Moesch, who dropped the 2nd fastest time ever in the world with her 51.94, but the Dutchwoman quickly responded as she undercut that mark by .08 to now sit behind only Sarah Sjostrom and the World Record of 51.71.

This evening, Steenbergen certainly left it all in the pool as the Dutchwoman opened in a massive 24.91, before closing in 26.95 to record that new best of 51.86. For reference, last weekend, she opened at 25.51 before coming in 26.62, to stop the clock at 52.13.

Like in Monaco, Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey took second place, but tonight, her 52.36 looked rather pedestrian compared to Steenbergen’s results. However, that said, her time is not only a large improvement upon her 52.67 from last weekend, but also is an improvement upon her season best of 52.40 from the Bergen Swim Festival.

Canada’s Taylor Ruck took 3rd in 54.15, a little off her season best of 53.88 from the Westmont Pro Swim Series.

Men’s 100 Freestyle – Final

• World record: 46.40 – Pan Zhanle (CHN), 2024
• Mare Nostrum record: 47.91 – Hwang Sunwoo (KOR), 2024
• Canet record: 48.14 – Fabien Gilot (FRA), 2009

Top 3: 

1. Patrick Sammon (Sun Devil Swimming) – 48.04
2. Kristof Milak (Hungary) -48.76
3. Kamil Sieradzki (Poland) – 49.02

The USA’s Patrick Sammon couldn’t replicate the fireworks from the previous event but still managed to pull off a very convincing win as the ASU pro, taking the win in 48.04, .72 ahead of runner-up Kristof Milak.

Sammon, who had the fastest 1st and 2nd 50s of the field, was 23.26 to the feet before coming home in 24.78 to hit the wall in 48.04. Poland’s Kamil Sieradzki and Germany’s Josha Salchow were an even 23.68 at the 50-meter mark to sit 2nd, but it was Hungary’s Kristof Milak (23.79) who claimed the silver, as he was the only other swimmer to close in sub-25, as his 24.97 brought him to the wall in a time of 48.76.

Sammon was actually faster this morning, going 48.00, opening .02 slower (23.28), but closing .06 faster (24.72) to break Fabien Gilot‘s meet record of 48.14 from the super-suited 2009 edition of the meet. Sammon has been as fast as 47.90 this season, doing so at the Lausanne Swim Cup back in March, and currently ranks 13th in the world.