2018 MARE NOSTRUM TOUR, CANET-EN-ROUSSILLON
- June 9th-10th
- Bassin Europa, Canet-en-Roussillon, France
- LCM
- Meet Central
- Schedule
- Entry List
- Results
- Live Results
- Prelims recap day 1
Tonight’s finals:
Women’s and men’s 50m backstroke
Women’s 1500m freestyle
Men’s 400m freestyle
Women’s and men’s 200m backstroke
Women’s and men’s 100m breaststroke
Women’s 200m IM
Men’s 400m IM
Women’s and men’s 100m butterfly
Women’s and men’s 200m freestyle
American swimmer Missy Franklin swam two finals races on Saturday evening, which for American fans were the focus of the day. that included a 1:58.91 in the 200 free B-Final, which was a 1.6-second improvement from her prelims swim, and another 2:13 in the 200 back for 6th place.
Read more about Franklin’s day here.
Aside from that, the big show was a new world’s #1 from Russian breaststroker Yulia Efimova in the 100m race. She swam a 1:05.78 that beat American Molly Hannis (1:07.17) and knocked another American, and Efimova’s mega-rival, Lilly King from the #1 world ranking (King has been 1:05.90 this season).
2017-2018 LCM WOMEN 100 BREAST
EFIMOVA
1.04.98
| 2 | Lilly King | USA | 1:05.36 | 07/28 |
| 3 | Molly HANNIS | USA | 1.05.78 | 07/28 |
| 4 | reona AOKI | JPN | 1.05.90 | 04/05 |
| 5 | Katie MEILI | USA | 1.06.19 | 07/28 |
Efimova is usually good for one sub-1:06 in-season every year, so this puts her right on line to match her lifetim-best of 1:04.36 from last year’s World Championships.
Women’s 50m backstroke
Russia’s Anastasia Fesikova was the fastest qualifier for the A-Final, andshe also took the win in the evening session, clocking a 27,84. This time moves her up to the 9th spot in the FINA World Ranking, improving upon her previous season best of 27,91. Denmark’s Mie Nielsen was the second place finisher in 28,08 ahead of Netherland’s Kira Toussaint (28,23). Katinka Hosszu finished fifth in a time of 28,65. She would only swim 2 of the 3 finals for which she qualified, scratching the 200 back later in the session.
Top 3:
- Anastasia Fesikova, RUS, 27,84
- Mie Nielsen, DEN, 28,08
- Kira Toussaint, NED, 28,23
Men’s 50m backstroke
2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalist (and 2014 Commonwealth Games champion) Ben Treffers won the 50 back on Saturday in 25.20: about three-tenths from where he was on the Gold Coast in early April.
Top 3:
- Ben Treffers, AUS, 25,20
- Kacper Stokowski, POL, 25,43
- Jonatan Kopelev, ISR, 25,70
Women’s 50m freestyle
2016 Olympic Champion Pernille Blume (DEN) broke into the top three in the world rankings on Saturday evening, winning the 50 free in 24.20. Canadian Taylor Ruck (CAN) collected the silver tonight finishing in a time of 24,58 (season best time: 24,26) followed by Japan’s Rikako Ikee in 24,80 (season best time: 24,47).
Top 3:
- Pernille Blume, DEN, 24,20
- Taylor Ruck, CAN, 24,58
- Rikako Ikee, JPN, 24,47
Men’s 50m freestyle
28-year old Bruno Fratus battled against 19-year old Michael Andrew for the win and Fratus got his hands to the wall first in 21,85. The two swimmers are developing a bit of a mid-season rivalry, as Andrew beat Fratus for the $4,000 grand prize at the TYR Pro Derby meet in April. Andrew finished second in 21,92, and the two were the only sub 22 seconds finishers.
Top 3:
- Bruno Fratus, BRA, 21,85
- Michael Andrew, USA, 21,92
- Konrad Czerniak, POL, 22,23
Women’s 1500m freestyle
Spain’s Mireia Belmonte took the win with a time of 16:12,87. Diana Duraes (POR) bettered her previous personal best time by nearly 30 seconds to finish second in 16:15,60, while Americna Erica Sullican came in third in 16:17,6716-year old Ajna Kesely from Hungary finished fourth in 16:20,67; she was 5th in the 200 free final later in the meet.
Top 3:
- Mireia Belmonte, ESP, 16:12,87
- Diana Duraes, POR, 16:15,60
- Erica Sullivan, USA, 16:17,67
Men’s 400m freestyle
Nato Ehara (JPN) won the men’s 400 free in a time of 3:47,70 (season best time: 3:46,64) followed by Norwegian Record-holder Henrik Christiansen who posted a 3:50,76. Filip Zaborowski (POL) finished third in 3:50,99.
Top 3:
- Nato Ehara, JPN, 3:47,70
- Hendrik Christiansen, NOR, 3:50,76
- Filip Zaborowski, POL, 3:50,99
Women’s 200m backstroke
Katinka Hosszu put up the top time in the morning session in 2:11,21 but scratched out of the A-Final. Canada’s Taylor Ruck collected gold recording a time of 2:08,80 (season best time 2:06,38). Russia’s Daria Ustinova came in second in 2:09,95 (season best: 2:07,84). Ruck and Ustinova both swam season-best times and rank second and fifth, respectively, in the world this season. Missy Franklin was clocked at 2:13,14, nearly half a second faster than her prelim’s result.
Top 3:
- Taylor Ruck, CAN, 2:08,80
- Daria Ustinova, RUS, 2:09,95
- Chloe Golding, GBR, 2:11,41
Men’s 200m backstroke
Germany’s Christian Diener took this event in a time of 1:58,16 ahead of Hungary’s Adam Telegdy (1:59,96). Only these two men stayed under the 2 minutes mark. Kieran Smith (USA) clocked 2:02,20 for the sixth place in the A final.
Top 3:
- Christian Diener, GER, 1:58,16
- Adam Telegdy, HUN, 1:59,96
- Radoslaw Kawecki, POL, 2:00,05
Women’s 100m breaststroke
Yuliya Efimova‘s (RUS) winning time of 1:05,78 is the fastest time in the world in 2018, she bettered her previous seasonal best time of 1:06,32. Efimova now is listed ahead of Reona Aoki (JPN) and USA’S Lilly King in the World Ranking, both were the leaders with a time of 1:05,90. Molly Hannis (USA) touched second with a time of 1:07,17 followed by Japan’s Kanako Watanabe in 1:07,56. Efimova won the silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Summer Games.
Top 3:
- Yuliya Efimova, RUS, 1:05,78
- Molly Hannis, USA, 1:07,17
- Kanako Watanabe, JPN, 1:07,56
Men’s 100m breaststroke
World record holder Adam Peaty came in first in 59,31. Peaty leads the current World ranking with a time of 58,59, and that ranking was the same finish order of Saturday’s final. Koseki took the silver tonight in 59,55. Third place finisher Arno Kamminga was the third man in this final under the 1 minute mark (59,59). Michael Andrew finished fifth in 1:00,66.
Top 3:
- Adam Peaty, GBR, 59,31
- Yasuhiro Koseki, JPN, 59,55
- Arno Kamminga, NED, 59,95
Women’s 200m IM
Defending Olympic Champion Katinka Hosszu touched the wall first in 2.11,30 (season best time: 2:10,87). She was followed by Turkey’s Viktoria Gunes who was clocked at 2:12,43 (personal best time 2:11,03). Gunes is the Junior World record holder in the 200m breaststroke in 2:19,64, she set this time at the 2015 Junior World Championships.
Gunes didn’t swim the 200 breaststroke on Saturday – an event where she’s the 4th-fastest woman in history – preferring to focus more recently on the IM races.
Brooke Forde came in eigth with a time of 2:15,83.
Top 3:
- Katinka Hosszu, HUN, 2:11,30
- Viktoria Gunes, TUR, 2:12,43
- Kanako Watanabe, JPN, 2:13,37
Men’s 400m IM
Hungary’s Gergely Gyurta picked up the win in a time of 4:17,49, which is about 2 seconds from his season-best time. Poland’s Dawid Szwedzki touched in a time of 4:19,68 for silver (season best time: 4:14,77) and Spain’s Joan Pons Ramon came in third in 2:21,74 (season best time: 4:14,77).
Top 3:
- Gergely Gyurta, HUN, 2:11,30
- Dawid Szwedzki, POL, 4:19,68
- Joan Pons Ramon, ESP, 2:21,74
Women’s 100m butterfly
17-year old Rikako Ikee took the win in a time of 57,47. Hungary’s Liliana Szilagyi touched second with a time of 58,83, and Canada’s Rebecca Smith had the third fastest time in this event of the evening in 58,91.
USA’s Cassidy Bayer came in eighth in 1:01,71 (personal best: 58,11).
Top 3:
- Rikako Ikee, JPN, 57,47
- Liliana Szilagyi, HUN, 58,63
- Rebecca Smith, CAN, 58,91
Men’s 100m butterfly
Frenchman Mehdy Metella was the fastest man tonight finishing in 51,93, which is only .01 from his winning time at French Nationals in late May. Poland’s Konrad Czerniak picked up the silver in a time of 52,27 (season best 51,78) ahead of his countrymate Michal Poprawa in 52,85.
Top 3:
- Mehdy Metella, FRA, 51,93
- Konrad Czerniak, POL, 52,27
- Michal Poprawa, POL, 52,84
Women’s 200m freestyle
World #2-ranked Taylor Ruck finished fast tonight in 1:55,68 to take the win ahead of France’s 2018 breakout star Charlotte Bonnet in 1:56,87. Germany’s Reva Foos set a new personal best time in 1:58,70, which was good for a third place finish.
Top 3:
- Taylor Ruck, CAN, 1:55,68
- Charlotte Bonnet, FRA, 1:56,87
- Reva Foos, GER, 1:58,70
Men’s 200m freestyle
Aleksandr Krasnykh picked up the win, clocking in at 1:47,66. Nils Liess (SUI) also went under 1:50, he put up a time of 1:49,05 ahead of France’s Jordan Pothain in 1:49,19. Kieran Smith, who set a personal best time in the prelims session in 1:49,69, had the fifth-fastest time of the evening in 1:5016.
Top 3:
- Aleksandr Krasnykh, RUS, 1:47,66
- Nils Liess, SUI, 1:49,05
- Jordan Pothain, FRA, 1:49,19
So…..What happened in that men’s 400 IM?
Great to see Missy Franklin back in the pool, but there is no way she will be a 204 back swimmer again.
Efimova looking good mid-season. Hopefully King and her can keep the rivalry going.
What’s the deal with Viktoria Gunes entering both IM races but giving the breaststroke distances a pass? She’s one of only a handful who has been sub 2:20 in the 200.
Let’s not forget Efimova has been busted for Performance Enhancing Drugs twice.
Once. But, whatever. The Salt Lake City lab still hasn’t explained Efimova’s 2016 false positive for Meldonium.
False yes
The 200M FS at Pan Pacs between Ledecky and Ruck is shaping up as an epic battle, that I hope results in a new world record.
At pan pacs ledecky has the 800 free final the same day as the 200 final. Now I know why Meehan had her doing the 1000/200 double in dual meets last season.
That’s unfortunate scheduling. The 800 free is before the 200 as well. Maybe Ledecky won’t swim full tilt, do enough to win, and use it as a warm up for the 200. I can see Titmus ditching it altogether to focus on the 200.
Agreed, I’m getting the feeling we could see some wonderful races between Ledecky and Ruck at this distance…seems that Ledecky could challenge the WR coming down from distance and Ruck could challenge the WR coming up from 100…epic.
Their techniques are very different…and it sounds like they will be training together at Stanford…I love it!
Ya gotta give big props to both coaches…Greg Meehan has done a great job with Ledecky and Ben Titley has taken a USA Swimming Age Group swimmer to a consistent world class swimmer.
I love this stuff!
Ruck is more sprinter that anything else. She treats 200 as a long distance swimming at the same speed the second, the third and the fourth fifty. Pretty much as Sjostrom does. To be around Ledecky’s time with such tactic she must have personal best in 100 well under 53. It is not happening yet. Ariarne Titmus is more dangerous competitor at 200free than Taylor Ruck.
While Ruck’s PB in the 100 is only slightly under 53, she has split under 52 in a relay before showing that she has serious potential in that distance beyond what she has already showed.
Sure, I have no reasons to think that she won’t improve her speed and then it will make sense to talk about her potentials in 200. Is she better than Sarah? I wouldn’t say it now. And Sjostrom who can swim competitively up to 400 stopped in 200 at 1:54.0
The best splits in 200 I saw in Allison Schmitt’s championship race. Katie Ledecky approaches it. But the interesting thing is that she is faster at first and last fifty but significantly slower in the middle (the second and third fifty)
I don’t feel yet that 200 free is the event that naturally fits Taylor Ruck.
I wouldnt call her a sprinter… Her PB in the 400FR is also under 4:10. AND her 200 Back is world class (clearly an endurance race). https://www.swimrankings.net/index.php?page=athleteDetail&athleteId=4653474