A remarkable eight meet records were scratched and re-written on the first day of the 2016 Mare Nostrum Tour – Barcelona. Two of those meet records fell in the prelims to Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom (100 meter fly at a 57.14) and Ukraine’s Andriy Govorov (50 m butterfly at a 23.27).
In the finals session, an additional six were captured, again by Sjostrum and Govorov in the same events, but also by Katinka Hosszu, Adam Peaty, Bertrand Le Clos Chad Guy and Kosuke Hagino.
Women’s 800 Free
Britain’s Jazmin Carlin took the win in the women’s 800 meter free by nearly four seconds with a 8:31.96. Second went to Spain’s Maria Vilas Vidal (8:34.71) and third was Montpellier’s Sharon Van Rouwendaal (8:36.54). There was also a tie for fourth between Britain’s Camilla Hattersley and Spain’s Melani Costa Schmid (8:38.08).
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Men’s 50 Back
Ireland’s Shane Ryan maintained his top position, capturing the win from lane four in a 25.09. Second went to Britain’s Christopher Walker-Hebborn (25.40), and third was taken by Brazil’s Augusto Guido Guilherme (25.46).
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Women’s 50 Breast
Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte broke the 30 second mark and maintained her top position in the 50 breast finals with a 29.98. Although the sprint breast queen was off her 29.48 world record mark, she still beat the rest of the field by nearly a second. Second went to Britain’s Sarah Vasey (30.79) and third went to Sweden’s Jennie Johansson (30.98).
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Men’s 50 Fly
Andriy Govorov crushed his own meet record (set in prelims) by over a tenth with a lightning-quick 23.16 final time. He was four tenths faster than his nearest competitor, Brazil’s Henrique De Souza Martins, who finished second at a 23.56. Third went to Aleksandr Popkov (23.86).
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Women’s 400 IM
Katinka Hosszu was untouchable in the 400 IM. Not only did she crush the competition by seven and a half seconds, she broke her own 2015 meet record (4:31.93) by over a second. Her 4:30.75 final time is just off her number-one world ranking season best (4:29.89, set in April). Second and third went to Britain’s finest Hannah Miley (4:38.31) and Aimee Willmott (4:39.18).
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Men’s 100 Free
Japan’s Sinri Shioura captured the men’s 100 free tile in a 49.41. The race for second was much closer, between Britain’s Duncan Scott and Germany’s Steffen Deibler, who touched the wall 49.66 and 49.68, respectively.
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Women’s 100 Back
Britain’s Georgia Davies cut some time from her 1:01.07 morning swim to capture the win in a 1:00.49. Hot on her heels was Daria Ustinova (1:00.77) in second and Natsumi Sakai (1:00.91) in third.
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Men’s 100 Breast
World record holder Adam Peaty took down his own 2014 meet record (59.25) with a 59.07. Peaty graces the top of the 2016 world ranking charts at a 58.36, and his finals swim bodes well for his continued domination in the event moving into the Olympics. Brazil’s Felipe Alves Franca Da Silva almost touched the meet record in his 59.26 finals swim, good enough for second. Britain’s Ross Murdoch came in third with a 1:00.70.
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Women’s 50 Free
Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom maintained her top position with a respectable 24.45 for the win. Second went to Britain’s Francesca Halsall (24.63) and third was taken by Canda’s Chantal Can Landeghem (24.81).
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Men’s 200 Back
Germany’s Christian Diener kept his top position from lane four with a 1:58.28 for the win. Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez De Oliveira was sixth tenths off at a 1:58.84 for second, and third went to Germany’s Philip Glania Jan (1:59.76).
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Women’s 200 Breast
Japan’s Kanako Wantanabe took the win from top seed Chloe Tutton (Britain) in a head-to-head battle for first. Wantanabe touched first in a 2:23.02, ahead of Tutton’s 2:23.87 second-place finish. Third went to 16 year old Runa Imai of Japan, with a 2:25.53.
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Men’s 200 Fly
Another meet record fell in the men’s 200 fly, this time to South Africa’s Bertrand Le Clos Chad Guy with a 1:54.42, a top-ten world ranking swim. Guy set the meet record last year in a 1:54.90. Second went to Russia’s Danil Pakhomov (1:57.73) and third was Spain’s Carlos Peralta Gallego (1:58.14).
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Women’s 100 Fly
Sarah Sjostrom re-wrote the 100 fly meet record in prelims with a 57.14, then erased it and penned a new one in finals. Although her 56.96 final time is nowhere near her 55.68 season best, her continued 100 fly dominance keeps her at the forefront of the swimming community’s mind going into the Olympics. Japan’s Rikako Ikee touched second with a 57.93 and third went to Canada’s Penelope Oleksiak (58.27).
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Men’s 200 IM
Japan’s Kosuke Hagino took over a second off his 1:58.51 preliminary time to – not only dominate the competitive field – by re-write the meet record with a 1:57.33. Hagino is currently ranked first in the world in the event. Britain’s Daniel Wallace touched second with a 2:01.07, and third went to his teammate Ieuan Llyod (2:01.21).
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Women’s 200 Free
Russia’s Veronika Popova maintained her top seed position by cutting nearly three seconds off her preliminary swim time (1:58.88) for a 1:55.97 winning time. That time bumps her up into the top-ten world rankings in the event. Katinka Hosszu came in second at a 1:58.23 and third went to Brazil’s Larissa Martins De Oliveira (1:58.58).
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Men’s 400 Free
Russia’s Aleksandr Krasnykh nearly cracked the top-ten in the world rankings with his 3:46.98 winning time. However, he did manage to beat the competition by over a second, with Britain’s James Guy coming in second at a 3:48.11. Third went to Britain’s Stephen Milne (3:48.82).
Photo Courtesy: Seagate Crystal Reports
Master P ( Adam Oeaty) is in a toll.
Not only was his time today a meet- record but also a Mare Nostrum Series standard too, breaking his ok’d mark if 59.25 from two years ago.
Since winning three European Championships 50-100 breadt titles in Brrlin two years ago Peaty glad been well nigh invincible, getting that same double at the World Championships and again lady month at the ECs in London.
And I believe he’s picked three additional golds in mixed medley relays at Berlin, Kazan and London not to mention world records in the 50-100 breast too.
Florent who?
All that’s missing from his treasure trove us a Commonwealth Games title, which should come in a couple of years in Australia ( 2K18 Games) and an Olympic title.
One would presume he’d be the prohibitive Rio favorite but my money’s on money’s on Michael Andrew and/or Reece Whitely, although the latter’s more a top pick in the 200!
Even though Andrew’s only 16 and hasn’t cracked a minute in the 100 I hear he’s been doing some monster workouts and hasn’t worn himself out galavanting around the globe racing like, oh I don’t know, maybe some prominent USC alum (no names need be mentioned of course but do the initials “KT” srrije any responsive chords?)
Yeah, Andrew ought to be good for a mid- 50s 100 @. Omaha (unshaven natch!) and then when he’s rested and tapered in Rio a sub-50 should be a piece of cake..
The Ukraine’s Andriiy Giviriv has also been in fire last month, setting a European Championships record in the 50 fly @. London and then winning in the fastest Championships ever.
Then last weekend in Monaco he swam an NR of 21.62 to easily win the 50 free and set a Mare Nostrum Series record in the 50 fl.
Too bad they don’t have the 50 strokeraces plus both 200 relays in the Okympic program rather than wasting time on such boring events as the 409-1500 frees/ 400 UM.
This is the 21st Century. Time for FINA and the IOC to,upgrade/modernize.
The future is now!