2024 Mare Nostrum Barcelona: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2024 MARE NOSTRUM – BARCELONA

• May 29-30, 2024
• Prelims/Finals: 9 am / 5 pm local, 3 am / 11 am ET
• Barcelona, Spain
• LCM (50m)
• Olympic Qualifying Event
• Meet Central
• Entries
• Live Results
• Livestream
• Day 1 PO Live Recap

Hello folks and welcome back for the second (and final) day at the Barcelona stop of the 2024 Mare Nostrum tour. It was a busy prelims session, and you can check out the full recap here.

The main highlight of the morning was Benedetta Pilato taking down Ruta Meilutyte‘s Barcelona meet record of 29.96, which Meilutyte posted way back in 2013. In prelims, Pilato rewrote the standard with a 29.89 performance. The overall Mare Nostrum tour record is a 29.75–set last year by Lara van Niekerk–and Pilato will get another shot at that record during the final. Van Niekerk is in the final as well, sitting further back with a 31.96 out of prelims.

Kristof Milak had a busy morning, taking on the 100 freestyle and 200 butterfly. He missed out on the 100 free final with a 9th place finish, but that race is still stacked. In the final the likes of Hwang Sunwoo, Thomas Ceccon, David Popovici, Alessandro Miressi, and Katsuhiro Matsumoto are vying for the title.

Milak will feature in the 200 fly final. The world record holder comes into the final as the second seed (1:57.11) behind top qualifier Kim Minseop. 

WOMEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – TIMED FINAL (Fastest Heat)

• Mare Nostrum Record: 8:19.86 – Rebecca Adlington, Great Britain (2012)
• OQT:  8:26.71

1. Francisca Soares Martins (POR) — 8:40.71
2. Emma Gianelli (RNF) — 8:41.80
3. Dune Coetzee (TSC) — 8:43.38
4. Jimena Perez Blanco (CNB) — 8:49.12
5. Paula Otero Fernandez (ESP) — 8:51.39
6. Johanna Enkner (AUT) — 8:55.28
7. Ludovica Terlizza (GNMS) — 8:55.32
8. Hanne Naess (BSV) — 8:56.74

Francisca Soares Martins took the win in the women’s 800 freestyle to open the session. The Portugese swimmer clocked 8:40.71 to win the race by just over a second ahead of Emma Gianelli. Back in January, Martins set her personal best in this event at 8:36.95. This performance today is the third-fastest in her career.

Swimming for her South African club team, Dune Coetzee earned bronze in 8:43.38. While not a season best, it does improve on the 8:48.40 she posted less than two weeks ago at the Atlanta Classic while still racing in the United States.

MEN’S 50 BACKSTOKE – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 24.45 – Michael Andrew, USA (2019)

1. Ulises Juan Saravia Pelaez (CDNC) — 25.09
2. Michele Lamberti (ITA) — 25.25
3. Kai Van Westering (NED) — 25.50
4. Adam Jaszo (HUN) — 25.70
5. Adrian Santos Martin (CNSA) / Markus Lie (NOR) — 25.81
6. (tie)
7. Robert Pedersen (DEN) — 25.86
8. Joao Costa (POR) — 25.95

The men’s 50 backstroke final kicks off a flurry of 50s of stroke on Day 2 in Barcelona. Ulises Juan Saravia Pelaez earned the win, touching .16 seconds ahead of Italy’s Michele Lamberti.

Kai Van Westering finished .25 seconds back from Lamberti for third place. It’s a new season best for Van Westering, improving on the25.69 that he posted at the 2024 World Championships. His personal best stands at 25.19 from last summer.

WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 29.75 – Lara Van Nierkerk, South Africa (2023)

1. Benedetta Pilato (ITA) — 30.06
2. Skyler Smith (NCAC) — 30.69
3. Reona Aoki (JPN) — 30.89
4. Kara Hanlon (SWP) — 31.20
5. Silje Slyngstadli (NOR) — 31.83
6. Lara Van Nieker (PAC) — 31.98
7. Mikaela Goelst (Seals) — 32.25
8. Celia Monforte Millan (CNLH) — 32.83

Benedetta Pilato collected the win in the women’s 50 breaststroke. She was off the Barcelona meet record that she posted in prelims and did not crack 30 seconds. Still, she won the race handily, touching .63 seconds ahead of Skyler Smith, the lone American on the Tour. Smith was faster than the 30.80 she swam in Canet, inching closer to her personal best (30.41) with a 30.69.

Reona Aoki was close to her personal best as well, punching a 30.89 for third place. She also improved on her performance from Canet, dropping down from 30.97 to 30.89 and improving on her fastest mark in 2024. Aoki’s lifetime best is 30.71 from 2022.

MEN’S 50 Butterfly – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 22.53 – Andrii Govorov, Ukraine (2018)

1. Nyls Korstanje (NED) — 23.29
2. Dylan Carter (TTO) — 23.36
3. Szabasztian Szabo (HUN) — 23.38
4. Quah Zheng Wen (SGP) — 23.56
5. Thomas Verhoeven (FAZ) — 23.58
6. Tibor Tistan (SVK) — 23.71
7. Alberto Lozano Mateos (CNT) — 23.93
8. Casper Puggaard (DEN) — 23.96

The men’s 50 butterfly caps off the 50s of stroke portion of the finals schedule. Nyls Korstanje collected the win, adding to the gold he picked up in this event in Canet. Korstanje was just off his winning time from earlier this week, posting 23.29 compared to 23.22 in Canet.

It was the same podium as it was in Canet, except this time Dylan Carter got the better of Szabasztian Szabo for silver. Carter out-touched Szabo by .02 seconds, 23.36 to 23.38. Both improved on their finals time from Canet.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 4:30.75 – Katinka Hosszu, Hungary (2012)
• OQT: 4:38.53

1. Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) — 4:36.57
2. Mio Narita (JPN) — 4:37.54
3. Waka Kobori (JPN) — 4:39.39
4. Alba Vazquez Ruiz (ESP) — 4:43.76
5. Sarah Dumont (FFBN) — 4:45.35
6. Ageha Tanigawa (JPN) — 4:46.09
7. Anja Crevar (SRB) — 4:46.23
8. Giada Alzetta (FV) — 4:50.01

Anastasia Gorbenko continues to take down her own national records. After setting two in one session yesterday, she lowered the 400 IM record that she swam in Canet. Here in Barcelona, Gorbenko posted a 4:36.57, lowering her newly set standard by .38 seconds. The time moves her up to 10th in the world this season.

Gorbenko set the early pace, leaving the rest of the field to chase her down. Mio Narita nearly did, closing in 1:02.59 on the freestyle leg to eat into Gorbenko’s lead. Narita ran out of room to chase her down and finished in 2nd place with a 4:37.54. She too improved on her time from Canet (4:38.23). Narita has been as fast as 4:35.40 this season at Japan’s Olympic Trials, which currently ranks her 6th in the world this season.

Japan put two swimmers on the podium, with Waka Korobi taking 3rd behind Gorbenko and Narita for the second straight stop on this Mare Nostrum tour.

MEN’S 100 Freestyle – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 48.08 – Nathan Adrian, USA (2014)
• OQT: 48.34

1. David Popovici (ROU) — 48.49
2. Hwang Sunwoo (KOR) — 48.51
3. Katsuhiro Matsumoto (JPN) — 48.79
4. Thomas Ceccon (ITA) / Andrej Barna (SRB) — 48.84
5. (tie)
6. Alessandro Miressi (ITA) — 49.04
7. Jacob Whittle (GBR) — 49.21
8. Patrick-Sebastian Dinu (ROU) — 50.93

David Popovici added to his win collection in Barcelona, picking up the win n the 100 freestyle to go with his 200 freestyle win from yesterday. Popovici was third at the 50 mark in 23.61 behind Hwang Sunwoo (23.35) and Katsuhiro Matsumoto (23.59).

The former world record holder closed in 24.88–the only person in the field sub-25 on the second 50–to get the win in a final time of 48.49, two-hundredths ahead of Hwang. The swim marks Popovici’s third fastest performance of 2024; his best is the 48.34 he swam in Antwerp back in March.

Matsumoto repeated from Canet as the bronze medalist but improved on his time, dipping under 49 seconds with a 48.79.

Women’s 100 Backstroke – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 58.57 – Kylie Masse, Canada (2022)
• OQT: 59.99

1. Kira Toussaint (DD) — 1:00.00
2. Rio Shirai (JPN) — 1:00.76
3. Maaike De Waard (NED) — 1:00.84
4. Ingrid Wilm (CSC) — 1:01.03
5. Hanna Rosvall (SWE) — 1:01.32
6. Carlotta Zofkova (CC) — 1:01.61
7. Silvia Scalia (CCA) — 1:01.68
8. Federica Toma (CC) — 1:02.00

Kira Toussaint swam a season best time to win the women’s 100 backstroke in Barcelona. She nearly broke the minute mark for the first time this season, which she last did at the 2023 World Championships.

Toussaint led the race from start to finish, flipping at 29.29 and coming back in 30.71 to get her hand on the wall in 1:00.00. She win the race handily, touching .76 seconds ahead of Rio Shirai. Shirai was just .16 seconds off her personal best of 1:00.60, swum at 2023 Worlds.

Toussaint is representing her club team here but the Netherlands went 1-3 in the race as Maaike De Waard took third. De Waard was the third and final swimmer to get under 1:01 in the final, touching in 1:00.84.

Fresh off Canadian Trials, Ingrid Wilm took 4th in 1:01.03, adding from her 59.90 in Canet.

MEN’S 100 Breaststroke – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 58.15 – Adam Peaty, Great Britain (2019)
• OQT: 59.49

1. Yu Hanaguruma (JPN) — 59.89
2. Arno Kamminga (NED) — 59.92
3. Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA) — 59.95
4. Caspar Corbeau (NED) — 1:00.04
5. Taku Taniguchi (JPN) — 1:00.53
6. Dongyeoi Choi (KOR) — 1:00.55
7. Denis Petrashov (KYR) — 1:00.75
8. Ludovico Viberti (ITA) — 1:00.87

The men’s 100 breaststroke was an exciting race, as Yu Hanaguruma rallied from 5th place at the turn to get the win for the second stop of this year’s Mare Nostrum tour.

He split 28.63 on the opening 50 and trailed the leader Dongyeoi Choi (28.05) by more than half a second. In addition to Choi, Nicolo Martinenghi (28.17), Caspar Corbeau (28.30), and Arno Kamminga (28.32) were also ahead of Hanaguruma.

Hanaguruma charged over the back 50 meters of the race. He split 31.26, passing the four men ahead of him to earn the win in 59.89. His time is just off the lifetime best 59.76 he just swam in Canet. Kamminga moved into second place, courtesy of a 31.60 closing split while Martineghi touched .03 seconds behind him (59.95), rounding out the swimmers sub-1:00.

Women’s 50 Freestyle – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 23.82 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2023)
• OQT: 24.70

1. Michelle Coleman (SWE) — 24.61
2. Siobhan Haughey (HKG) — 24.64
3. Neza Klancar (SLO) — 24.83
4. Farida Osman (EGY) — 25.14
5. Lidon Munoz de Campo (CNSA) — 25.16
6. Caitlin De Lange (TSC) — 25.22
7. Julie Kepp Jensen (DEN) / Kim Busch (NED) — 25.25
8. (tie)

Sweden’s Michelle Coleman eked out the win in the women’s 50 freestyle, out-touching Siobhan Haughey by .03 seconds. Coleman earned the win in 24.61, improving on her season best time from the 2024 World Championships (24.65).

In her first race of the session, Haughey swam 24.64. That’s the 4th fastest swim of her career and her fastest in 2024. Her 2023-24 season best is a 24.62 from the U.S Open.

Slovenia’s Neža Klančar earned 3rd place in 24.83. Like Haughey, it’s her fastest swim in 2024 as it betters the 24.87 mark that she swam in Doha. In December, she swam her personal best of 24.70.

Klančar rounded out both the podium and the swimmers sub-25 seconds. Farida Osman took 4th place in 25.14.

MEN’S 200 Backstroke – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 1:54.34 – Ryosuke Irie, Japan (2007)
• OQT: 1:57.50

1. Lee Juho (KOR) — 1:56.73
2. Hidekazu Takehara (JPN) — 1:57.28
3. David Gerchik (ISR) — 1:59.36
4. Diego Mira Albaladejo (CNS) — 2:00.20
5. Matteo Restivo (ITA) — 2:00.80
6. Adam Telegdy (HUN) — 2:01.10
7. Matteo Venini (ISRR) — 2:02.15
8. Lorenzo Mora (ITA) — 2:03.43

Lee Juho led the men’s 200 backstroke from start to finish. Back in November, Lee set the Korean national record at 1:56.05. Today, he earned the win in 1:56.73, .68 seconds away from that standard.

Lee opened in 26.83, pushing the pace earlier as the only man in the race to get out under 27 seconds. Japan’s Hidekazu Takehara out-split Lee in the middle of the race, closing the gap a bit, but Lee still maintained the lead with Takehara getting as close as .33 seconds away from the lead at the 150-meter mark.

Lee pushed the pace on the last 50 meters with a 30.11 closing split that sealed the win. Takehara clocked 1:57.28 for second, well ahead of David Gerchik’s 1:59.36 for third.

Women’s 200 Breaststroke – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 2:19.67 – Rikke Moeller Pedersen, Denmark (2010)
• OQT: 2:23.91

1. Tes Schouten (NED) — 2:22.67
2. Jessica Vall Montero (CNSA) — 2:24.60
3. Martina Carraro (ITA) — 2:25.34
4. Kotryna Teterevkova (LTU) — 2:26.85
5. Clara Rynak-Andersen (DEN) — 2:26.86
6. Letitia Sim (SGP) — 2:27.33
7. Kara Hanlon (SWP) — 2:27.53
8. Ana Blazevic (CRO) — 2:27.82

Reigning world champion Tes Schouten swam away from the women’s 200 breaststroke field. Schouten easily took the win in Barcelona, clocking a 2:22.67. It’s a solid in-season effort for Schouten, who split 32.50/36.17/36.41/37.59 en route to her win.

Jessica Vall Monteo earned the silver medal with a 2:24.60, which is the fastest that she’s been since 2021.

MEN’S 200 Butterfly – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 1:53.89 – Kristof Milak, Hungary (2022)
• OQT: 1:55.78

1. Kim Minseop (KOR) — 1:55.47
2. Kristof Milak (HUN) — 1:55.67
3. Genki Terakado (JPN) — 1:56.03
4. Wang Kuan-Hung (TPE) — 1:56.28
5. Federico Burdisso (CSE) — 1:56.94
6. Polat Uzer Turnali (TUR) — 1:57.03
7. Samuel Kostal (SVK) — 1;57.42
8. Ciacomo Carini (ITA) — 1:58.21

Kim Minseop held on to get the men’s 200 butterfly win over Kristof Milak. Kim grabbed the lead at the 50-meter mark, splitting 25.56 to lead the field, followed by Genki Terakado (25.76), Wang Kuan-Hung (25.76), and Kristof Milak (25.88).

Kim gave up the lead to Wang at the 100, 54.88 to 55.10 but reclaimed the lead with 50 meters to go. Meanwhile, Milak was still running 4th but had closed the gap with a huge 29.87 split on the third 50. He continued to charge on the closing 50, splitting 29.70 for the fastest closing split in the field.

In the end, he managed to move into second but ran out of room to track down Kim. Kim’s 30.68 was enough for him to get the win in a final time of 1:55.47, two-tenths ahead of Milak’s 1:55.67.

Terakado out-split Wang on the final 50 meters by almost a second to move ahead of him and grab third in 1:56.03.

Women’s 100 Butterfly – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 55.76 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2013)
• OQT: 57.92

1. Louise Hansson (SWE) — 57.92
2. Shiho Matsumoto (JPN) — 58.01
3. Helena Rosendahl Bach (DEN) — 58.44
4. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) — 58.66
5. Seoyeong (KOR) — 58.78
6. Constanza Cocconcelli (ITA) — 59.03
7. Nagisa Ikemoti (JPN) — 59.11
8. Elena Di Liddo (CC) — 59.25

Louise Hansson backed up her 100 butterfly win in Canet by picking up another win in Barcelona. She was right on her time from Canet (57.91) as well, posting a 57.92 for the win.

Hansson was second at the 50 meter mark to Shiho Matsumoto by three-hundredths. The Swedish swimmer powered hom in 30.82 to get the win .09 seconds ahead of Matusmoto. In what appears to be Matsumoto’s third official 100 fly swim (including prelims), she swam her second lifetime best of the day.

Per SwimRankings, Matsumoto’s lifetime best coming into the meet was a 1:01.19 from 2019 World Juniors. Matsumoto broke 1:00 for the first time in prelims with a 58.44. She hacked another .43 seconds off in the final, taking 2nd with a 58.01.

Helena Rosendahl Bach, the 2024 Worlds 200 butterfly bronze medalist, earned 3rd place in 58.44. She swam a lifetime best of 58.13 at the Malmsten Open in April.

MEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 1:56.31 – Hugo Gonzalez, Spain (2021)
• OQT: 1:57.94

1. Tomoyuki Matsushita (JPN) — 1:58.60
2. Gabor Zombori (HUN) — 2:00.99
3. Lorenzo Glessi (CSE) — 2:02.73
4. Jacopo Barbotti (CCA) — 2:03.98
5. Max Halbeisen (AUT) — 2:04.53
6. Nil Cadevall MIcolau (CNSA) — 2:04.80
7. Matthew Ward (GBR) — 2:05.13
8. Artur Tobler (TU) — 2:06.33

With his win in the men’s 200 IM, 18-year-old Tomoyuki Matsushita added his name to the growing list of swimmers keeping their event win streaks alive from Canet. Matsushita led the race the entire way, splitting 25.41/29.87/34.75/28.56 to win with a final time of 1:58.60.

Not only does the swim improve on his winning time from Canet (1:58.87), but it surpasses that mark as the third-fastest swim of his career. Matsushita’s inching closer towards his lifetime best–a 1:58.42 from the 2023 World Juniors–as the Tour goes on.

Matsushita was the only swimmer to break 2:00 as Hungary’s Gabor Zombori earned silver in 2:00.99. The field was quite stretched out as Zombori had a sizeable lead over the bronze medalist Lorenzo Glessi (2:02.73).

Women’s 200 Freestyle – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 1:54.66- Camille Muffat, France (2008)
• OQT: 1:57.26

1. Siobhan Haughey (HKG) — 1:54.57 *Mare Nostrum Record*
2. Valentine Valerie Dumont (CEM) — 1:57.92
3. Ainhoa Campabadal Amezcua (CNSA) — 1:59.34
4. Francisca Soares Martine (POR) — 1:59.73
5. Waka Kobori (JPN) — 1:59.77
6. Janna Van Kooten (NED) — 1:59.98
7. Snaefridue Sol Jorunnardottir (ISL) — 2:00.27
8. Giulia D’Innocenzo (ITA) — 2:00.30

Siobhan Haughey continues to showcase strong in-season form through the 2024 season. Here in the 200 freestyle, she took down the late Camille Muffat‘s Mare Nostrum Tour record, which had stood since 2008. Haughey clocked 1:54.57 for the win, undercutting Muffat’s record by .09 seconds.

Haughey split 26.99/28.78/29.08/29.72 for the win and the new record. She’s already ranked 3rd in the world this season behind Mollie O’Callaghan and Summer McIntosh with her 1:5408 from the Budapest stop of the World Cup.

She won the race by more than three seconds, with Valentine Valerie Dumont the closest swimmer to her in 1:57.92. Dumont’s season best stands at 1:57.57 from back in February but this was another solid in-season swim from her and the 4th fastest of her career.

MEN’S 400 Freestyle – FINAL

• Mare Nostrum Record: 3:41.71 – Ian Thorpe, Australia (2001)
• OQT: 3:46.78

1. Kim Woomin (KOR) — 3:44.81 *Barcelona Mare Nostrum Meet Record*
2. Marco De Tullio (ITA) — 3:47.73
3. Carlos Garach Benito (ESP) — 3:50.38
4. Giovanni Caserta (ITA) — 3:51.56
5. Davide Marchello (CSE) — 3:51.65
6. Alessando Ragaini (ITA) — 3:52.38
7. Tatsuya Murasa (JPN) — 3:53.16
8. Albert Escrits Manosa (CNSA) — 3:55.21

Kim Woomin followed up Siobhan Haughey‘s Mare Nostrum Tour record with a record of his own, closing out the Barcelona stop of this year’s Tour in style. The reigning 400 freestyle world champion swam a Barcelona meet record with a 3:44.81.

This was also a long-standing record as Kim bettered Nikita Lobintsev‘s 3:44.97 mark from 2009 15 years ago. Kim led the race from start to finish, holding more than a 2.5 second lead over Marco De Tullio at the 200 mark (1:50.24 to 1:52.83).

Kim maintained the lead on the back half of the race, eventually winning by 2.92 seconds.