Noe Ponti Rips 22.83 50 Fly, Ben Proud 21.99 50 Free In Dubai

2025 DUBAI OPEN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Friday, February 14th – Sunday, February 16th
• Hamdan Sports Complex, Dubai, UAE
• LCM (50m)
• Results: Meet Mobile – 2025 Dubai Open Swimming Championships

The 2025 Dubai Open Swimming Championships took place over the weekend at the Hamdan Sports Complex. A mainstay on the international racing calendar since 2011, the meet typically brings over 1100 athletes representing 15 nations to kick off their new year of competition.

Notable Results

Canadian Olympian Mary-Sophie Harvey was one of the top-tier athletes who participated, beginning 2025 where she left off with her stellar 2024.

26-year-old Harvey topped the women’s 200m free podium in a solid effort of 1:58.32, clocking the sole time of the field under the 2:00 barrier.

Russia’s Darya Mullakaeva was next to the wall in 2:01.50 while British swimmer Sophie Davies rounded out the podium in 2:06.45.

It was at the Paris Olympic Games where Harvey established her new lifetime best of 1:55.29, a result which rendered her Canada’s 4th-best performer in history.

As for Mullakaeva, the 27-year-old upgraded to gold in the 400m free, producing an outing of 4:20.28 to beat the pack by over 7 seconds.

South African Olympian Lara van Niekerk was also one of the high-profile swimmers among the women.

22-year-old van Niekerk grabbed the top spot in the 100m breast, registering a time of 1:08.91 as the sole competitor to delve under 1:10 territory.

She followed up with a victory in the 50m breast in a time of 31.04. That’s well off her national benchmark of 29.72 from 2022 but enough to get the job done decisively here.

Ilya Shymanovich of Belarus also doubled up with gold in the men’s editions of the 50m and 100m breaststroke events.

In the former, Shymanovich turned in a time of 27.11 for the gold. That held a comfortable advantage over Swiss Olympic medalist Noe Ponti who registered 27.99 in this off-event.

Shymanovich’s 100m breast victory came in the form of a 1:00.83 result that cleared his competitors by over 2 seconds.

Australia’s Finlay Schuster hit 1:03.08 as the silver medalist while British Olympic champion Duncan Scott raced to a time of 1:03.31 in a rare performance in the 1breast.

Fellow Brit Ben Proud fired off a swift in-season time of 21.99 to grab gold in the men’s 50m free.

That handily defeated the Netherlands’ Sean Niewold who earned silver in 22.57 followed by Ponti who claimed bronze in 22.63.

Of note, Scott was also in the race, finishing 5th in 22.74.

30-year-old Proud took silver in this 50m free at the 2024 Olympic Games, a race that represented his first-ever individual Olympic medal. His effort this weekend checks him in as the #4 performer in the world this season.

Ponti was dominant in the men’s 50m fly, turning in a rapid result of 22.83.

That came within .20 of his Swiss national record of 22.65 notched at last April’s Swiss Championships to become the 6th-fastest man in history.

He now overtakes the season’s world rankings with this performance.

Niewold’s 22-year-old Dutch teammate Tessa Giele did damage across multiple events as she displayed her versatility.

She nabbed 50m fly gold in a time of 26.02 to hold off Russia’s Alexandra Kuznetsova and Harvey who secured respective silver and bronze. Kuznetsova touched in 26.77 and Harvey finished in 26.79.

Giele moved on to the 200m fly where she also found success, punching a mark of 2:15.67 before taking the women’s 50m free in 25.30.

Closing out her packed schedule, Giele also topped the 50m back podium in 28.69 and the podium of the 100 fly in 58.44. She owns personal bests of 27.86 and 57.38 in these events.

Additional Winners

• Hungary’s Benedek Bona struck gold in the men’s 200m free, putting up a mark of 1:49.21 to get the job done. Niewold was next to the wall in 1:51.64, just a hair ahead of UAE’s Rohayem Tolba who bagged bronze in 1:51.68.
• Kuznetsova was the top women’s 100m freestyler, putting up a time of 55.05. Mullakaeva was also under the 56-second barrier in 55.67.
• The men’s 100m free saw Egor Kornev clock a time of 49.14 to get the golden edge ahead of Niewold who settled for silver in 22.57. Scott also landed on the podium in 49.50.
• World Junior Record holder Miron Lifintsev registered a time of 24.97 to win the men’s 50m back by over a second and a half.
• Niewold got on the board for gold in the men’s 100m fly, posting 53.50 as the top performer.