2022 Mare Nostrum Tour Monaco – Day 1 Prelims Recap

2022 MARE NOSTRUM TOUR – MONACO

• Saturday, May 21 – Sunday, May 22, 2022
• Swimming Pool Prince Albert II, Monaco
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Entries – Monaco
• Results
• Livestream

The annual Mare Nostrum tour officially got underway with the first day of prelims Saturday morning in Monaco, where a talented field of swimmers are racing for international glory – and the prize money that comes along with it. 

Event winners at each meet receive prize money, and overall series winners are awarded prize money based on having the best overall swim of the series. Overall series winners (the top four men and top four women) share 21,000 Euros (24,000 USD), and each meet gives out a minimum of 20,000 Euros (23,000 USD).

In the first heat of the day, Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands distanced himself from the pack by more than five seconds with a 2:10.97 in the men’s 200 breast prelims. The reigning Olympic silver medalist in the event set the Mare Nostrum record last year in Barcelona with a 2:07.23.

Nineteen-year-old South Africa Lara van Niekerk paced the women’s 100 breast heats in 1:07.05. Not far behind was 18-year-old American Lydia Jacoby, the reigning Olympic champion in the event, who touched second in 1:07.97. 

Brazil’s Gabriel Santos (48.99) edged Hungary’s Nandor Nemeth (49.00) by a blink in the men’s 100 free heats. Fellow Brazilian Breno Correia also figures to be in contention for the title with a 49.08. Twenty-four-year-old American Coleman Stewart barely missed the A final in 49.76.

Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands led the women’s 200 free heats with a 2:00.21. Ireland’s Ellen Walshe, a swimmer at the University of Tennessee, qualified for the B finals with a 2:05.76 in her international debut for 2022. 

Switzerland’s Noe Ponti topped the men’s 200 fly heats with a 1:58.84, ahead of Mare Nostrum record holder Chad le Clos (1:59.45).

Egypt’s Farida Osman enters the women’s 100 fly finals as the top seed after clocking a 59.08 in prelims. Hungary’s Dalma Sebestyen was the runner-up in 59.43.

Michael Andrew, the 23-year-old American who won a 4×100 medley relay gold medal at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics, placed third in the men’s 100 back heats with a 55.02 to kick off a busy morning. South Africa’s Pieter Coetze finished second in 54.76 while France’s Yohann Ndoye-Brouard had the top time of 54.61. 

New Zealand’s Emma Godwin is the top seed in the women’s 200 back with a 2:13.09. Canada’s Ingrid Wilm qualified fourth with a 2:16.60. 

South Africa’s Matthew Sates (1:59.89) snuck in front of Hungary’s Hubert Kos (1:59.98) to claim the top seed in the men’s 200 IM heats. Former Texas Longhorn Sam Stewart finished in third with a 2:00.67.

Belgium’s Lucas Henveaux led the men’s 400 free heats with a 3:54.49. Egypt’s Akram Mahmoud, a former University of South Carolina standout, was close behind in 3:55.56.

World Record holder Andrii Govorov of Ukraine qualified second for tonight’s men’s 50 fly finals with a 23.46, just behind Trinidad and Tobago’s Dylan Carter (23.38). Andrew qualified fourth with a 23.61 in his second race of the day while 42-year-old Brazilian Nicholas Santos qualified fifth with a 23.73.

Swedish star Sarah Sjostrom had the fastest swim of the women’s 50 fly heats with a 25.68, slightly more than a half second ahead of Osman. Sjostrom also finished first in the 50 free prelims with a 24.43, nearly a second faster than the rest of the field. Sjostrom holds the World Records in both events. A pair of Americans, Leah Gingrich (27.48) and Marina Spadoni (27.73), also qualified fifth and seventh, respectively, in the 50 fly. 

The U.S. had its best showing in the men’s 50 back prelims, where Andrew placed first in 25.23 and Stewart placed third in 25.52. Coetze finished second in 25.25.

France’s Pauline Mahieu (28.22) and Finland’s Mimosa Jallow (28.36) topped the women’s 50 back heats. Wilm qualified sixth with a 28.92.

Kamminga took his second top seed of the day with a 27.18 in the men’s 50 breast heats, where he edged Brazil’s Joao Gomes Junior (27.38).

Jacoby followed up her 100 breast performance with a 31.17 in the women’s 50 breast prelims, equaling van Niekerk for the second qualification spot behind Italy’s Lisa Angiolini (31.11).

Brazil’s Bruno Fratus sprinted to the top seed in the men’s 50 free with a 22.15. Andrew entered with the top seed time in the event, but qualified fourth with a 22.34 to cap off his fourth race of the morning.

The finals begin at 10:30 a.m ET on Saturday and Sunday.