Mare Nostrum Barcelona, day 2: Prelims recap

2016 Mare Nostrum Tour – Barcelona

• Saturday, June 11 – Sunday, June 12, 2016
• Barcelona, Spain
• Meet Website
• Start Lists
• Results Saturday
• Results Sunday

And again a tough schedule for Katinka Hosszu: She jumped into the pool to swim the 200 m backstroke, butterfly, IM and 400 m freestyle in Barcelona in prelims. An exhausting morning for the Iron Lady with less rest between the four starts.

The competition started with the women’s 50 m backstroke with three British ladies setting the fastest times: Georgia Davies, 28,32; Francesca Halsall 28,59 and Jessica Fullalove 28,94.

As expected, the World Record holder Adam Peaty is the top seed for tonight’s final of the 50 breaststroke: He recorded a time of 27,68. Another sprint World Record holder Sarah Sjostrom touched first this morning in the 50 m butterfly in 25,64 – her season best is a 24,99. She was more than a second faster than Canada’s Katerine Savard in prelims.

Kosuke Hagino was dominant this morning in the men’s 400 m IM, racing to the top seed in a pedestrian-for-him 4:18.79.

Sandrine Mainville posted a 54,74 to take the top seed in the women’s 100 m freestyle, and Sarah Sjostrom hit the wall in 55,08 to qualify 2nd. Sjostrom ranks 3rd-best in the world this year, with Mainville sitting outside of the world’s top-25, so if that order held in finals it would be deemed an upset.

Chris Walker-Hebborn cruised to the top seed in the men’s 100 m backstroke with a 54,77.

Ruta Meilutyte finished first in the 100 m breaststroke in 1:08,05.

Andriy Govorov posted the top time this morning in the men’s 50 m freestyle, swimming the event in 22,03, followed by Benjamin Proud (22,21) and Brazil’s new #2 sprinter Italo Duarte in 22,54.

Daria Ustinova came in first in the 200 m backstroke in 2:10,85. Ross Murdoch swam to the top of the 200 m breaststroke field, clocking 2:12,26, Marco Koch clocked the second-fastest time with 2:13,27.

Lara Grangeon posted the top time in the 200 m butterfly in 2:10,78 followed by Japan’s Natsumi Hoshi in 2:10,92. Chad Le Clos blasted a 52,66 this morning in the 100 m butterfly, Brasil’s Henrique de Souza was the second man under 53 seconds in 52,72. Immediately after her 200 m backstroke and butterfly events, Katinka Hosszu again proves her outstanding class in the 200 IM with a time of 2:09,70 – that would be the fifth-fastest time in the world in 2016, were it not for the fact that she already owns the fastest time this season in 2:07,30. She was very close to the meet record of 2:09,56, held by Marie Siobhan O’Connor (GBR) in 2:09,56.

Because three 200 m races in succession are only a relaxed warm-up for finals, Katinka Hosszu swam the 400 m freestyle and finished second in 4.12,30. The top seed is Jazmin Carlin in 4:10,30 – both ladies are capable of swimming faster than a 4:05 even in a non-championship scenario.

Myles Brown of South Africa set the fastest time in the men’s 200 m freestyle in 1:47,88 followed bei Scott Duncan in 1:47,91 and James Guy in 1:48,05.

Top Seeds Heading Into Finals:

• Women’s 50 m Back: Georgia Davies, GBR,  28,32
• Men’s 50 m Breast: Adam Peaty, GBR,  27,68
• Women’s 50 m Fly: Sarah Sjostrom, SWE, 25,64
• Men’s 400 m IM: Kosuke Hagino, JPN, 4:18,79
• Women’s 50 m Free: Sandrine Mainville, CAN, 54,74
• Men’s 100 m Back: Chris Walker-Hebborn, GBR, 54,77
• Women’s 100 m Breast: Ruta Meilutyte, LTU, 1:08,05
• Men’s 50 m Free: Andriy Govorov, UKR, 22,03
• Women’s 200 m Back: Daria Ustinova, RUS, 2:10,85
• Men’s 200 m Breast:Ross Murdoch, GBR, 2:12,26
• Women’s 200 m Fly: Lara Grangeon, FRA, 2.10,78
• Men’s 100 m Fly: Chad Le Clos, RSA, 52,66
• Women’s 200 m IM: Katinka Hosszu, HUN, 2:09,70
• Men’s 200 m Free: Myles Brown, GBR, 1:47,88
• Women’s 400 m Free: Jazmin Carlin, GBR, 4:10,30