Official Psych Sheets Released For Opening Leg of Mare Nostrum Tour In Monaco

2025 MARE NOSTRUM TOUR – MONACO

• May 17-18, 2025
• Monte Carlo, Monaco
• Prince Albert II Nautical Center
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets (PDF)

The official psych sheets for the first leg of the 2025 Mare Nostrum Tour have dropped, with some big names scheduled to compete in Monaco this weekend.

Unlike the following stops in Barcelona and Canet-en-Roussillon, the Monaco leg features five-round skins events for the stroke 50s, with the first three rounds of Day 1 (prelims, top 16, top 8) and then the final two rounds (top 4, top 2) on Day 2.

Given that, we’ll see an extra bit of intrigue can be looked towards the 50s in Monaco, and there are plenty of exciting names to keep an eye on.

KOLESNIKOV HIGHLIGHTS MEN’S FIELD

Russian powerhouse Kliment Kolesnikov headlines the men’s lineup with entries in only two events, the 50 and 100 back, but we’ll likely see him race several times given the five-round 50s in Monaco.

Kolesnikov owns the world record in the men’s 50 back (23.55) and is one of the fastest performers of all-time in the 100 back (51.82), but hasn’t raced internationally since December 2021, shortly before the Russian invasion of Ukraine resulted in a blanket ban for Russian swimmers competing globally.

Kolesnikov and the country as a whole have changed their tune on competing as individual neutrals in 2025, with Kolesnikov stating in January he was planning on racing at the 2025 Worlds and 2028 Olympics after sitting out of international competition in 2024.

In Monaco, Kolesnikov’s biggest challengers in the 50 back will be Poland’s Ksawery Masiuk and Italian Christian Bacico, the only other swimmers seeded under 25 seconds, while in the 100 back, Masiuk holds the top seed over Kolesnikov with Bacico 3rd and Frenchman Michel Arkhangelsky, Poland’s Jakub Majerski and Argentine Ulises Saravia also seeded sub-54.

Along with Kolesnikov, other Russian natives (representing “Neutral B”) at the meet include Arina Surkova and Yuliya Efimova on the women’s side and Kirill Prigoda and Oleg Kostin on the men’s side.

MARTINENGHI, CURTIS SPEARHEAD STRONG ITALIAN SQUAD

Reigning Olympic champion Nicolo Martinenghi leads a talented group of Italian swimmers headed to Monaco, with the 25-year-old looking like the man to beat in the 50 and 100 breast.

He’s the top seed in the 50, while in the 100, Martinenghi ranks 2nd to countryman Ludovico Viberti, who set a best time of 59.04 at the Italian Championships last month.

Prigoda figures to be the primary challenger to the Italians in the 100 breast, while the Russian holds the distinction of being the big favorite in the 200 as the top seed by nearly four seconds.

Rising talent Sara Curtis, the 18-year-old who broke multiple Italian Records at last month’s Nationals, leads the women’s field with entries in the 50 free, 100 free and 50 back, holding the #2 seed in the free events while ranking 6th in the 50 back.

Other notable names on the Italian squad competing include the versatile Alberto Razzetti and free sprinters Alessandro Miressi and Manuel Frigo on the men’s side, and breaststroke sprinter Benedetta Pilato for the women.

Among this group, only Martinenghi and Curtis have locked in qualification for the 2025 World Championships, with the others gearing up for the Sette Colli Trophy in early June to try and book their ticket to Singapore.

Dean, Haughey Headline 100/200 Free

Multi-time Olympic medalists Tom Dean and Siobhan Haughey will be the stars to watch in the 100 and 200 freestyle events, with Haughey set for her first full competition since taking a three-month break from training in early 2025.

The defending world champion in the women’s 200 free (and a two-time Olympic medalist in the event), Haughey comes in as the top seed in the event by more than two seconds over Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko, while in the 100 free, Haughey is the lone swimmer seeded sub-53, with Italy’s Curtis ranked 2nd at 53.01.

Gorbenko holds seven entries, including ranking 1st in the women’s 200 and 400 IM. Along with the IMs and the 200 free, she’s also scheduled to compete in the 50 and 100 of back and breast.

Dean, who qualified for Great Britain’s World Championship team at last month’s Aquatics GB Championships, is the top seed in the men’s 200 free and 200 IM and ranks 2nd in the 100 free, only trailing Hungarian Nandor Nemeth.

In the 200 IM, Italy’s Razzetti and New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt will pose a threat to Dean, while those two will also head-to-head in the 200 fly alongside Hungarian Richard Marton. Clareburt is also the big favorite in the 400 IM, seeded 1st by more than 10 seconds.

OTHER NAMES TO WATCH

• Frenchman Maxime Grousset will be a force in the men’s sprints, holding the top seed in the men’s 50 free and 50 fly.
• Hungarian Szebasztian Szabo and Great Britain’s Jacob Peters will be contenders in the 50 fly, while Peters is also a threat to claim the 100 fly, seeded 2nd coming in behind Poland’s Majerski.
• Germany’s Anna Elendt is the top seed in the women’s 50 and 100 breast, while she ranks 2nd in the 200 breast behind South Africa’s Rebecca Meder after setting a lifetime best of 2:23.54 earlier this month at the German National Championships.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Lana Pudar, who recently committed to Virginia, will be a threat in the women’s fly events, holding the #1 seed in the 200 fly by three seconds while sitting 2nd in the 100 fly and 8th in the 50 fly. Sweden’s Louise Hansson is the top seed in the 100 fly and figures to make an impact in the 50-meter skins with entries in the 50 free, back and fly.
• Canada’s Sydney Pickrem and Ingrid Wilm, Sweden’s Sophie Hansson and Sara Junevik, Japan’s Rikako Ikee and France’s Beryl Gastaldello and Melanie Henique will also factor prominently in the women’s field this weekend.