2023 Lausanne Swim Cup – Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2023 LAUSANNE SWIM CUP

• Friday, February 24th – Sunday, February 26th
• Centre Aquatique Vaudoise Arena, Lausanne, Switzerland
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Site
• SwimSwam Preview
• Entries/Results
• Livestream

This morning we saw British ace Adam Peaty top the men’s 50m breast field while Italy’s Martina Carraro did the same on the women’s side.

Peaty will face off with countryman James Wilby, while Carraro will look to fend off South African World Record holder Tatjana Schoenmaker.

Thomas Ceccon dropped the men’s 200m back in favor of solely racing the men’s 50m free, pitting him against the likes of French Olympic champion Florent Manaudou, GBR’s David Cumberlidge and Ukraine’s Andrii Govorov.

The fastest heats of the 400m freestyle start off the final session from Lausanne tonight.

MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – FASTEST HEAT

GOLD – Matt Sates (RSA), 3:50.45
SILVER – Kregor Zirk (EST), 3:51.80
BRONZE – Marc-Antoine Olivier (FRA), 3:52.36

The first event of the evening saw 19-year-old Matt Sates of South Africa get to the wall first, capturing the men’s 400m free gold in 3:50.45. That held a healthy advantage over runner-up Kregor Zirk of Estonia who snagged silver over a second behind in 3:51.80 while France’s Marc-Antoine Olivier rounded out the podium with 3:52.36 as the bronze medalist.

As for Sates, his personal best in this event rests at the 3:49.27 he notched during last year’s Mare Nostrum Tour, meaning his effort here checked in just over a second off that mark.

Zirk’s PB represents the Estonian national record of 3:47.05, a result he put up in the heats at the 2020 Olympic Games. Olivier is France’s 10th fastest performer all-time with a career-quickest of 3:49.26 from the 2022 French Championships.

WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – FASTEST HEAT

GOLD – Anna Egorova (RUS), 4:11.36
SILVER – Abbie Wood (GBR), 4:13.71
BRONZE – Angela Martinez (ESP), 4:14.75

Russian ace Anna Egorova was the decisive winner of the women’s 400m free tonight, touching over 2 seconds ahead of the next-fastest swimmer for a gold medal-worthy 4:11.36.

Britain’s Abbie Wood stopped the clock in 4:13.71 while Angela Martinez of Spain captured bronze in 4:14.75.

Egorova’s effort represents her quickest of the season, inserting her into the list of top performers worldwide in slot #17.

As for Wood, if she were to pursue this event at the British Swimming Championships in April, the 23-year-old would need to match a minimum qualification time of 4:02.16 for consideration for this summer’s World Championships.

As an IM and breaststroke specialist, Wood is most likely using this event as a training race, although her effort here wasn’t far off his best-ever 4:13.38 from 2019.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

GOLD – Adam Peaty (GBR), 27.08
SILVER – James Wilby (GBR), 27.63
BRONZE – Christian Ferraro (ITA), 28.22

Great Britain punched a 1-2 finish in this men’s 50m breast, courtesy of Adam Peaty and Loughborough teammate James Wilby.

28-year-old Peaty got it done for gold in 27.08 while Wilby was also under 28 seconds with a mark of 27.63. Ferraro ultimately got to the wall in 28.22.

As a refresher, Peaty was among a group of British sprinters who recently concluded a weeks-long training camp on the Gold Coast in Australia. While there, Peaty competed at a local meet in Southport, producing times of 27.10 in this 50m breast event and 59.57 in the 100m breast.

Slicing .02 off of his Southport result, Peaty remains the #1 swimmer in the world in this event while Wilby checks in as #14 on the rankings list for the season.

WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

GOLD – Martina Carraro (ITA), 30.77
SILVER – Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA), 31.05
BRONZE – Nika Godun (RUS), 31.67

The top 3 finishers out of this morning’s heats remained in the same positions once tonight’s women’s 50m breast final was done and dusted.

Italy’s Martina Carraro took advantage of her lane 4 pole position, hitting a time of 30.77 for gold. That earned the only sub-31 second outing of the evening, as South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker touched in 31.05 for silver.

Russia’s Nika Godun, representing a Hungarian club here, was 3rd to the wall in a mark of 31.67.

Carraro’s 30.77 ranks her within the top 5 performers in the world this season, easily out-performing the 31.27 she logged at the Luxembourg Meet this past January.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

GOLD – Roman Mityukov (SUI), 1:58.02
SILVER – Luke Greenbank (GBR), 1:58.39
BRONZE – Christophe Brun (FRA), 2:04.66

It was a two-man race between host country swimmer Roman Mityukov and British Olympic bronze medalist Luke Greenbank in the men’s 200m back final.

Greenbank fired off a quicker opening split of 57.80 to Mityukov’s 58.35, but Mityukov quickly gained ground on the back half to put up a time of 1:58.02 for the gold. Greenbank settled for silver in 1:58.39 while Frenchman Christophe Brun registered 2:04.66 for bronze.

Mityukov is the newly-minted 100m and 200m backstroke national record holder for Switzerland, with both times clocked at last year’s World Championships. Specifically in the 2back, Mityukov hit a time of 1:56.22 in the semi-finals before settling for 4th place in a time of 1:56.45.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

GOLD – Fanny Borer (SUI), 2:15.76
SILVER – Chiara Strickner (SUI), 2:20.34
BRONZE – Manon Richard (FRA), 2:22.38

Fanny Borer scored another gold for host nation Switzerland, topping the women’s 200m backstroke podium. Her time tonight of 2:15.76 hacked over 2 seconds off from her morning result of 2:17.81 and represents her swiftest outing of 2023.

Behind her was teammate Chiara Strickner who held steady for silver in 2:20.34 while French swimmer Manon Richard was another 2 seconds behind in 2:22.38.

MEN’S 400 IM – FASTEST HEAT

GOLD – Matt Sates (RSA), 4:18.86
SILVER – Marius Toscan (SUI), 4:24.66
BRONZE – Will Licon (USA), 4:25.23

Sates took on the grueling 400m IM after he already took gold in the 400m free as tonight’s first event. In his second race, the teen came away with the top prize once again, putting up a solid 4:18.86 for the victory.

Sates led wire-to-wire, with Switzerland’s Marius Toscan kept well back, finally touching nearly 6 seconds behind the South African. America’s Will Licon landed on the podium in 4:25.23 for bronze.

Sates’ personal best in the 4IM rests at the 4:11.58 he scorched at last year’s Mare Nostrum Tour. That rendered him South Africa’s #2 performer all-time, sitting only behind national record holder Sebastian Rousseau and his mark of 4:11.11.

From the USA Swimming database, Licon last raced the LCM 400m IM at the Pro Swim Series in San Antonio nearly 2 years ago. There he produced a time of 4:26.33.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – FASTEST HEAT

GOLD – Giada Alzetta (ITA), 4:54.87
SILVER – Maria De Valdes (ESP), 4:56.15
BRONZE – Angelina Pratt (SUI), 5:00.93

Just 5 women raced in the 400m IM which saw 16-year-old Giada Alzetta of Italy take the gold. Her time of 4:54.87 checks in as the 8th fastest performance of her young career, one which boasts a personal best of 4:50.05 from last year.

Spain’s Maria De Valdes scored silver in 4:56.15 while Swiss swimmer Angelina Pratt rounded out the finishers in 5:00.93.

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

GOLD – Kregor Zirk (EST), 1:59.16
SILVER – Aaron Schmidt (GER), 2:02.09
BRONZE – Christian Ferraro (ITA), 2:02.57

Sates wasn’t the only swimmer to take on a tough double, as Zirk also followed his 400m freestyle up with a 2nd event during tonight’s session.

23-year-old Zirk upgraded to gold in this 2fly event, registering the only sub-2:00 outing of the field in 1:59.16. That comfortably defeated the next two closest competitors of Aaron Schmidt of Germany and Ferraro of Italy who touched in 2:02.09 and 2:02.57, respectively.

Zirk’s season-best here sneaks him inside the list of top 20 performers thus far this season.

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

GOLD – Annina Grabher (SUI), 2:15.95
SILVER – Fanny Borer (SUI), 2:18.60
BRONZE – Yvonne Prehn (GER), 2:22.35

Switzerland earned the top 2 spots in this women’s 200m fly, led by Annina Grabher. Grabher hit a mark of 2:15.95, just her second outing ever under the 2:16 barrier. Her personal best from last year sits just .15 inside her time tonight.

After taking gold in the women’s 2back earlier, Borer was back for more, securing silver here in 2:18.60 while Germany’s Yvonne Prehn produced a mark of 2:22.35 for bronze.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – FINAL

GOLD – Meiron Cheruti (ISR), 22.18
SILVER – Florent Manaudou (FRA), 22.35
BRONZE – Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 22.45

Israel’s Meiron Cheruti pulled out the men’s 50m free victory over a stacked field that included Olympic champion Florent Manaudou of France.

The 25-year-old got to the wall in a time of 22.18 to make him the 14th fastest performer in the world this season. Manaudou was .17 behind for a silver medal-worthy 22.35 while Italy’s Thomas Ceccon fired off a result of 22.45 for bronze.

While both Cheruti and Manaudou have been well under 22 seconds for PBs of 21.87 and 21.19, respectively, Ceccon’s quickest 50m free rests at the 22.33 he logged for gold at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – FINAL

GOLD – Marie Wattel (FRA), 24.95
SILVER – Anna Hopkin (GBR), 24.97
BRONZE – Melanie Henique (FRA), 25.01

Two French women got on the board to conclude night one finals, with Marie Wattel and Melanie Henique taking respective gold and bronze in this 50m free race.

Wattel posted 24.95 to just out-touch British ace Anna Hopkin who turned in a time of 24.97. Henique was right there in the mix with 25.01 as the 3rd place finisher.

While Hopkin has already been as quick as 24.80 at the Southport meet during the British Gold Coast training camp, Wattel and Henique each produced their season-bests thus far.