The 2018 Mare Nostrum Tour kicks off on Saturday in Canet-en-Roussillon with a group of 10 athletes of USA’s national junior squad attending the series. The youngsters travel together with Missy Franklin, who will compete for the first time since her shoulder surgeries in 2017.
The first stop of the Mare Nostrum Tour introduces a world-class field with the likes of Katinka Hosszu, Mireia Belmonte, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Rikako Ikee, Taylor Ruck, Charlotte Bonnet, Pernille Blume, Bruno Fratus, Adam Peaty, Marco Koch, Yasuhiro Koseki, Anton Chupkov – only to name some. In previous years, the international swimmers took part in all three tour stops but Adam Peaty, for example, is not listed in Barcelona’s start list.
The second tour stop takes place in Barcelona, Spain, from June 13th to 14th and more international swim stars are found in the entry lists like USA’s Kathleen Baker and Katie Meili, both are 2016 Olympic medalists. Both athletes and also their teammate Ryan Held (2016 Olympic gold medalist, 4×100 freestyle relay) will stay in Europe to swim at the last tour stop in Monaco from June 16th to 17th.
Additional prominent names in Barcelona’s start list, swimmers who won’t compete in Canet, are: Great Britain’s James Guy, Russia’s Kirill Prigoda and Italy’s Luca Dotto.