2022 Mare Nostrum Tour Barcelona: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2022 MARE NOSTRUM TOUR

• Wednesday, May 25th & Thursday, May 26h
• Club Natació Sant Andreu, Barcelona
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Entries – Barcelona
• Livestream
• Results

We’re already on the 2nd and final day of competition here in Barcelona, with the night’s finals packed with high-octane racing on both the men’s and women’s sides.

For instance, heading into the finals, American Michael Andrew snagged two top seeds, leading the men’s 50m back and 50m fly. The 23-year-old clocked an AM swim of 24.93 in the former to lead the likes of Japan’s Ryosuke Irie and South Africa’s Pieter Coetze.

Andrew’s 23.38 50m fly morning swim put him in lane 4 with Hungary’s Szebasztian Szabo and Brazilian Nicholas Santos in the hunt for gold right behind.

South Africa’s Lara van Niekerk proved super swift in the morning heats of the women’s 50m breast, hitting a mark of 30.09. She owns her nation’s standard in 29.72, becoming the first-ever woman from South Africa to dip under 30 seconds. We’ll see if she can hold off the competition en route to gold this evening.

With Tom Dean heading up the 100m freestyle (48.78), Louise Hansson taking the top spot in the women’s 100m fly (57.17) and Arno Kamminga leading the 100m breast (59.22) among many other races, we’re in for some potentially head-turning swims during this finals session.

WOMEN’S 800 FREE – FINAL

• GOLD – Simona Quadarella (ITA), 8:26.21
• SILVER – Miyu Namba (JPN), 8:36.71
• BRONZE – Gabrielle Roncatto (BRA), 8:38.04

Italy’s distance queen Simona Quadarella earned another gold here, adding this 800m free victory to her 400m free top prize from yesterday.

Stopping the clock in 8:26.21, Quadarella easily defeated the field, beating runner-up Miyu Namba of Japan by over 10 seconds.

Brazil’s Gabrielle Roncatto, who earned a new 400m free national record yesterday, earned bronze in this 8free in 8:38.04.

Quadarella earned the Italian title this spring with her mark there in Riccione of 8:24.23. She’ll try to improve upon her silver medal from the 2019 World Championships, knowing American Katie Ledecky will most likely once again be standing in her way.

MEN’S 50 BACK – FINAL

• GOLD – Michael Andrew (USA), 24.64* New Meet Record
• SILVER – Pieter Coetze (RSA), 24.78
• BRONZE – Ryosuke Irie (JPN), 24.94

As mentioned above, the 50m back represented 1 of 2 events in which American Olympian Michael Andrew captured the top seed out of the morning heats.

Following his time of 24.93 in prelims, 23-year-old Andrew hacked off nearly another .3 to check in with a mark of 24.64. That not only garnered him the gold but his result also overtook the previous Mare Nostrum Barcelona meet record. The previous meet standard stood at the 24.66 Japanese swimmer Junya Koga put on the books in 2014.

There was indeed a Japanese racer in this final, with 32-year-old Ryosuke Irie collecting bronze in 24.94 while splitting the pair was South African teenager Pieter Coetze. Coetze, who was South Africa’s youngest swimming Olympian in Tokyo last year at just 17 years of age, snagged silver here in 24.78.

WOMEN’S 50 BREAST – FINAL

• GOLD – Anna Elendt (GER), 30.10
• SILVER – Lara van Niekerk (RSA), 30.35
• BRONZE – Jhennifer Conceicao (BRA), 30.54

After having won the women’s 100m breast last night, German swimmer Anna Elendt continued her success with gold in this 50m breast sprint this evening.

Although it was Lara van Niekerk who was fastest out of the heats with a morning swim of 30.09, Elendt surpassed the South African in this medal race, punching a lifetime best of 30.10.

Entering this meet, Elendt, who also swims for the University of Texas, held the German national record with the 30.67 logged at the 2021 German Championships. However, she raced lights out tonight to hack over half a second off of that previous PB to now be rendered the 5th fastest performer in the world, tied with Great Britain’s Imogen Clark.

Van Niekerk settled for silver in this final with a time of 30.35 while it was Brazilian Jhennifer Conceicao who rounded out the top 3 in 30.54, just off her own national record of 30.40.

MEN’S 50 FLY – FINAL

• GOLD – Nicholas Santos (BRA), 23.03
• SILVER – Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 23.23
• BRONZE – Szebasztian Szabo (HUN), 23.45

Brazil upgraded its bronze from the preceding women’s race to gold in this men’s 50m fly, courtesy of 42-year-old Nicholas Santos.

Santos posted a podium-topping result of 23.03, touching .2 ahead of Italy’s Thomas Ceccon who grabbed runner-up status in 23.23. Hungarian Szebasztian Szabo, who shares the short course world record in this event with Santos, was tonight’s bronze medalist in 23.45.

Andrew was actually the top-seeded swimmer out of the heats with an AM swim of 23.38 but, after his meet record-producing 50m back effort, was relegated to last in 24.10.

For Santos, he’s been as fast as 22.73 so far this season, a time which situates him as the #2 swimmer in the world behind Russia’s Oleg Kostin. Szabo has also been faster earlier this year, with the 23.08 he produced at April’s Hungarian Championships.

As for 21-year-old Olympic relay medalist Ceccon, he owns a lifetime best of 23.22 in this event so his result here was a mere .01 off of that mark.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• GOLD – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 4:37.04
• SILVER – Ageha Tanigawa (JPN), 4:40.50
• BRONZE – Abbie Wood (GBR), 4:40.80

Hungary’s multi-Olympic gold medalist improved upon her 200m IM silver from last night with gold here in this longer IM.

The world record holder in both IMs touched in 4:37.04 here to represent the only swimmer of the field to delve under the 4:40 threshold.

Behind her was Ageha Tanigawa who touched in 4:40.50 while Olympian Abbie Wood was next in 4:40.80 for bronze, the Brit’s same result from the 200m IM yesterday.

Tanigawa already clocked a time of 4:36.45 at the Japanese International Trials meet in March, good enough to add her name to her nation’s lineup for the World Championships.

As for Hosszu, this 4:37.04 outing is a nice new season-best easily defeating the 4:38.89 put up at the Hungarian Championships. With her win, the 32-year-old now moves up the world rankings to check in as the 8th fastest performer so far this season.

MEN’S 100 FREE – FINAL

• GOLD – Tom Dean (GBR), 48.63
• SILVER – Alessandro Miressi (ITA), 48.98
• BRONZE – Gabriel Santos (BRA), 49.18

All but one swimmer delved under the 50-second barrier in this men’s 100m freestyle final, led by reigning 200m free Olympic champion Tom Dean.

22-year-old Dean of Great Britain split 23.60/25.03 to ultimately get to the wall in a time of 48.63, an improvement from the 48.78 he notched this morning as the top swimmer.

Italy’s national record holder Alessandro Miressi was also in the 48-point territory, opening more quickly in 23.45 but finally getting in at 48.98 for silver.

Also on the podium was Gabriel Santos of Brazil, who registered a time of 49.24 after hitting 48.86 in the heats. Tonight he fired off a front half of 23.18, the fastest of the field by .14 before bringing it home in 26.00.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK – FINAL

• GOLD – Kylie Masse (CAN), 58.93
• SILVER – Ingrid Wilm (CAN), 59.90
• BRONZE – Simona Kubova (CZE), 1:01.42

Just as they did in the 50m back yesterday, the Canadian partners in crime Kylie Masse and Ingrid Wilm delivered a 1-2 punch on the podium.

Contesting the 100m back, it was national record holder Masse who stood out from the field, delivering a quick 58.93 for the gold. She’s already been as fast as 58.41 this season but the fact she’s only about half a second over that result from the Canadian Swimming Trials bodes well for the 26-year-old two-time Olympic medalist.

Wilm was also solid with a 59.90, just off her lifetime best of 59.73 punched just days ago in Monaco.

MEN’S 100 BREAST – FINAL

• GOLD – Arno Kamminga (NED), 59.24
• SILVER – Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA), 59.66
• BRONZE – Yu Hanaguruma (JPN), 1:00.26

When we’ve seen Dutchman Arno Kamminga already throw down a time of 58.52 earlier in the season, nothing too Earth-shattering transpired in this men’s 100m breast here in Barcelona.

Kamminga did double-up on his 50m/100m breaststroke victories from Monaco, still landing atop the podium tonight in 59.24.

That held the advantage over Italy’s national record holder Nicolo Martinenghi who clocked 59.66, following up on 50m breast bronze yesterday.

Japan’s Yu Hanaguruma, who somewhat surprisingly took the 200m breast title at his nation’s International Trials meet in March, was the bronze medal winner here in 1:00.26.

WOMEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

• GOLD – Anna Hopkin (GBR), 24.65
• SILVER – Valerie Van Roon (NED), 24.84
• BRONZE – Kim Busch (NED), 24.95

We saw Laura Stephens of Great Britain take the 200m fly title last night and now we have our first British women’s gold of day 2 here in Barcelona.

Anna Hopkin, formerly of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, punched a time of 24.65 to beat out a pair of Dutch racers in Valerie Van Roon and Kim Busch. Van Roon got it done for silver in 24.84 while Busch was also under 25 with a mark of 24.95 for bronze.

Hopkin, who now trains at Loughborough, was faster tonight than she was at the Brtish Swimming Championships, the meet which represented the primary selection competition for this summer’s big events. There in Sheffield, Hopkin clocked 24.85 while tonight she shaved another .20 to check in with a season-best effort. Hopkin is now situated just inside the top 15 performers worldwide.

Of note regarding the Dutch, we saw two prolific freestyle sprinters from the nation retire this year in the form of Olympians Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Femke Heemskerk. As such, the Netherlands will be desperately seeking talent to try to fill the very big shoes, uh fins, left by these two icons.

MEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• GOLD – Luke Greenbank (GBR), 1:56.88
• SILVER – Pieter Coetze (RSA), 1:57.85
• BRONZE – Adam Telegdy (HUN), 1:57.96

After producing a morning time of 1:58.90 for the 2nd seed, Olympic bronze medalist in this men’s 200m back, Luke Greenbank, churned out a super solid result of 1:56.88 for the win.

With a front half of 56.52 and a back half of 1:00.36, Greenbank of Great Britain/Loughborough beat the next closest swimmer tonight by nearly a second.

Runner-up status went to 18-year-old Coetze (1:57.85), the South African who already nabbed silver in the 50m back earlier in this session. Hungary’s Adam Telegdy scored bronze in 1:57.96.

Although already pre-qualified for the World Championships, Greenbank was just 1:57.57 at the aforementioned British Championships. His swifter result here points to his being on a nice trajectory headed towards Budapest.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – FINAL

• GOLD – Molly Renshaw (GBR), 2:25.47
• SILVER – Mona McSharry (IRL), 2:25.58
• BRONZE – Sophie Hansson (SWE), 2:26.70

Make that two golds on the night for British women, with national record holder Molly Renshaw beating out Ireland’s Mona McSharry at the wall for gold.

Renshaw touched in 2:25.47 to McSharry’s 2:25.58, while Sweden’s Sophie Hansson was just behind in 2:26.70 for bronze.

For Renshaw, the 26-year-old did not partake at the British Swimming Championships, having already secured her World Championships roster slot via her Tokyo Oly pic appearance. With that in mind, her 2:25.47 here is an indicator of where the Loughborough swimmer may be at on her way to improving upon her 5th place finish at the 2019 World Championships.

MEN’S 200 FLY – FINAL

• GOLD – Kristof Milak (HUN), 1:53.89 *Mare Nostrum Tour Record
• SILVER – Noe Ponti (SUI), 1:56.03
• BRONZE – Leonardo De Deus (BRA), 1:56.18

Kristof Milak, Hungary’s world record holder and Olympic champion, proved once again that he is a one-man wrecking ball in this 200m butterfly.

The 22-year-old busted out a head-turning time of 1:53.89 to not only smoke the field but also overtake the overall Mare Nostrum Tour Record in the event. Milak started his swim with a 54.30 front 50m before bringing it home in 59.59 to capture the victory decisively here tonight.

The previous Mare Nostrum Record was held by South Africa Chad Le Clos in 1:54.42 from 2016. In tonight’s race, Le Clos found himself in 4th with a time of 1:56.38.

As impressive as Milak was in this final, the Hungarian has been a hair faster, owning a season-best of 1:53.88 from April. Japan’s Olympic silver medalist behind Milak, Tomoru Honda, remains atop the world rankings with his 1:53.87.

Swiss national record holder and 100m fly Olympic bronze medalist Noe Ponti surged to silver in 1:56.03 to edge out Brazilian Leondardo de Deus who rounded out the top 3 in 1:56.18.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINAL

• GOLD – Louise Hansson (SWE), 57.29
• SILVER – Marie Wattel (FRA) 58.27
• BRONZE – Emma Sticklen (USA), 58.64

Yesterday’s bronze medalist in the women’s 50m fly bumped herself up 2 spots to top the podium in this 100m fly sprint tonight.

Sweden’s Louise Hansson, formerly of the USC Trojans and now out of Loughborough crushed a time of 57.29 to set herself apart from the field by nearly a second.

Marie Wattel of France, who also trains at Loughborough, snagged silver in 58.27 while USA’s Emma Sticklen touched in 58.64 for 3rd place.

Hansson holds a season-best effort of 56.89 to rank as the 5th fastest performer in the world while Wattel had yet to dip under the 59-second threshold this season.

As for the University of Texas’ Sticklen, she registered another personal best in a fly event here in Barcelona. She already accomplished the feat last night in the 200m fly and she also shaved some tenths here to score another PB with 58.64 in this race.

MEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

• GOLD – Matt Sates (RSA), 1:58.31
• SILVER – Jeremy Desplanches (SUI), 2:00.30
• BRONZE – Alberto Razzetti (ITA), 2:00.41

With just one swimmer nabbing a time under 2:00 in this men’s 200m IM final, the results were a little on the lackluster side.

South African Matt Sates, who already did major damage on day 1 here by beating Olympic champion Dean in the 200m free, got it done for gold tonight in 1:58.31. That’s off the 1:57.43 he produced just days ago in Monaco, but the man also raced to a huge PB in the 400m IM in last night’s session for a tough 2 free/4IM double.

Swiss Olympic medalist Jeremy Desplanches went through the motions for 2:00.30, good enough for silver, while Italy’s national record holder Alberto Razzetti was only .11 behind in 2:00.41.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE – FINAL

• GOLD – Freya Anderson (GBR), 1:57.33
• SILVER – Erin Gemmell (USA), 1:58.26
• BRONZE – Mary-Sophie Harvey (CAN), 1:59.18

Great Britain ended its successful night with its 3rd women’s gold and 4th overall gold of the session.

It was two-time European Short Course champion Freya Anderson‘s turn to top the podium, posting a 2free time here of 1:57.33.

That was enough to keep American Erin Gemmell and Canadian Mary-Sophie Harvey at bay, with the duo finishing with the silver and bronze, respectively. Gemmell touched in at 1:58.26 while Harvey checked in at 1:59.18.

MEN’S 400 FREE – FINAL

• GOLD – Felix Auboeck (AUT), 3:47.60
• SILVER – Marco De Tullio (ITA), 3:47.74
• BRONZE – Antonio Djakovic (SUI), 3:49.51

The top 3 finishers in this men’s 400m free all represent the swimmers who dipped under 3:50 in the race, led by former University of Michigan Wolverine Felix Auboeck.

Auboeck, who represents Austria internationally, now trains at Loughborough. He took the gold in 3:47.60 to close out his Barcelona meet, scoring a new season-best in the process.

As for runner-up Marco De Tullio of Italy, the 21-year-old Olympian ranks as the 5th fastest performer of the season with a speedy 3:44.47 from the Italian Championships.

For Short Course World Championships bronze medalist Antonion Djakovic (SUI), tonight represents his first time under the 3:50 barrier thus far this season.