2026 Mare Nostrum Tour – Monaco
- May 23-24, 2026
- Prince Albert II Nautical Center
- LCM (50 meters)
- Mare Nostrum Tour Central
- Live Results
During the first preliminary session of the 2026 Mare Nostrum Tour, 21-year-old American McKenzie Siroky made a statement in the women’s 50m breaststroke.
Siroky threw down a time of 29.73, demolishing her personal best of 30.05 from last season to lead all qualifiers into the semifinals by exactly a second.
Her time checks in as a new Mare Nostrum Record, taking down the 29.75 posted by South Africa’s Lara Van Niekerk during the 2023 iteration of the series.
Siroky now ranks second in the current world standings, moves to eighth all-time (sixth among active swimmers), and third on the all-time American list (fastest among active Americans).
2025-2026 LCM Women 50 BREAST
Qianting
29.44
| 2 | Mckenzie Siroky | USA | 29.64 | 05/23 |
| 3 | Yang Chang | CHN | 30.11 | 11/17 |
| 4 | Benedetta PILATO | ITA | 30.13 | 04/18 |
| 5 | Anita BOTTAZZO | ITA | 30.20 | 04/18 |
She is also now the second-fastest Tennessee-trained swimmer all time in the event, sitting just 0.02 behind the retired Molly Hannis‘ 29.71 from the 2018 Austin Pro Swim Series with two more rounds to go at this meet, let alone further opportunities across the full Mare Nostrum series.
All-Time Top 10 Performers:
- Ruta Meilutyte (Lithuania) — 29.16 (2023)
- Benedetta Pilato (Italy) — 29.30 (2021)
- Lilly King (United States) — 29.40 (2017)
- Qianting Tang (China) — 29.44 (2026)
- Yuliya Efimova (Russia) — 29.52 (2013)
- Molly Hannis (United States) — 29.71 (2018)
- Lara Van Niekerk (South Africa) — 29.72 (2022)
- McKenzie Siroky (United States) — 29.73 (2026)
- Jessica Hardy (United States) — 29.80 (2009)
- Lydia Jacoby (United States) — 29.81 (2023)
- Eneli Jefimova (Estonia) — 29.83 (2025)
For context, Siroky’s time tonight would have been fast enough for the silver medal at the 2025 World Championships, where only world record holder Ruta Meilutyte (29.55) cracked 30 seconds on the day. Siroky made her international debut for Team USA at those World Championships, where she finished 17th in the event with a time of 30.56.
She broke through at the U.S. Trials a month prior, clocking a then-lifetime best of 30.27 in prelims before tying American Olympian Emma Weber for second in the final with matching 30.43s, then dominating the swimoff in her former best time.
Siroky’s 100m best time is 1:07.05 from the SE TENN May Invitational last May, another marker to watch over the course of the series. With the retirement of world record holder Lilly King and the absence of 2021 Olympic champion Lydia Jacoby the past two seasons, another opportunity is abound, with reigning world silver medalist Kate Douglass (1:05.27) the leading American, based on best times. Beyond King and Douglass, only two Americans were quicker than Siroky in the 100 last season: Alex Walsh (1:06.50) and Weber (1:06.55).
Siroky’s post-high school swimming path was almost not to be. In September 2021, she had originally announced her intention to pursue hockey at the Division I level for Minnesota Duluth, effectively ending her swimming career after high school, before changing her mind in early 2023. Now a sophomore at Tennessee, she finished third in the 100-yard breast and 10th in the 200 as a freshman before upgrading to runner-up in the 100 this past season.
Great swim for this significant part of the 2027 Lady Vol’s 200 Medley Relay winning team at NCAAs!
Big Orange Crush to The Beast Siroky to Kamikazee Hirai to The Spinkin Sprinkler and it is all over for all other teams!
VFE.
She can probably bench twice as much as Shin Ohashi.
She is also the Southeastern arm wrestling champion in the Open Division!
I just saw that she went 29.64 in the 1/8 round of the Speed Tournament and sub 30 again in the quarters 30 min later. Not sure how those times work officially, but it does look like they gave her credit for lowering the Mare Nostrum record again.
Also moves her up to 6th all time
HUGE for Siroky!!
I see Alexy threw down a whopping 51.35 in the 100 free. I’m hoping he was swimming fly
wtf 😬
Well besides Douglass I guess US women have found another breastroker.
What about those hockey players!
Wow!!