By Dan D’Addona.
The 2018 Mare Nostrum Series began Saturday in Canet-en-Roussillon, France, with plenty of big international names in the water.
Canada’s Taylor Ruck continued her strong performances around the world.
She won the 200 back in 2:08.80, followed by Russia’s Daria Ustinova (2:09.95), Britain’s Chloe Golding (2:11.41), Germany’s Jenny Mensing (2:11.54) and Lisa Graf (2:21.69). Missy Franklin, in her return was sixth (2:13.14), followed by Spain’s Cristina Garcia Kirichenko (2:13.78) and China’s Si Luo (2:14.25).
Ruck also won the 200 free in 1:55.58, ahead of France’s Charlotte Bonnet (1:56.87), Germany’s Reva Foos (1:58.70), Canada’s Kayla Sanchez (1:58.77), Hungary’s Anja Kesely (1:59.52), Canada’s Rebecca Smith (2:00.35), Russia’s Anna Egorova (2:01.34) and Spain’s Mirela Belmonte (2:04.58).
In the 200 free, Franklin won the B final in 1:58.91, which would have been fifth in the finals.
The finals started with the 50 backstroke. Russia’s Anastasia Fesikova won in 27.84, followed by Denmark’s Mie Nielsen (28.08), Kira Toussaint (28.23) of the Netherlands, Britain’s Lucy Hope (28.57), Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu (28.65), Canada’s Danielle Hanus (28.80) and Argentina’s Andrea Berrino (29.18). Caroline Pilhatsch was disqualified.
In the men’s 50 back, Australia’s Ben Trekkers (25.20) won the event ahead of Poland’s Kacper Stokowski (25.43), and Israel’s Jonatan Josef Kopelev (25.70). Germany’s Christian Diener was fourth (27.72), followed by Hungary’s Gabor Balog (25.75), Franc’s Jeremy Stravius (25.80), Paul-Gabriel Bedel (25.88) and Jordan Pothain (26.17).
In the women’s 50 free, Denmark’s Pernille Blume won the event in 24.20, holding off Canada’s Taylor Ruck (24.58). Japan’s Rikako Ikee was third (24.80), followed by France’s Charlotte Bonnet (25.09), Kim Busch (25.18) of the Netherlands, Canada’s Kayla Sanchez (25.25), Grace Ariola (25.52) of the U.S., and Britain’s Katherine Stark (25.72).
In the men’s 50 free, Brazil’s Bruno Fratus cruised to victory in 21.85, edging Michael Andrew (21.92) of the U.S. Poland’s Konrad Czerniak was third (22.23), followed by Hungary’s Maxim Lobanovskij (22.27), Japan’s Shinri Shioura (22.28), Jesse Puts (22.44) of the Netherlands, Hong Kong’s Kenneth King Him To (22.75) and France’s Yonel Govidin (22.77).
In the women’s 1500 free, Spain’s Mirela Belmont won in 16:12.87, followed by Portugal’s Diana–Margarida Duraes (16:15.60) and Erica Sullivan (16:17.67) of the U.S. Hungary’s Ajna Kesely was fourth (16:20.76), followed by compatriot Boglarka Kapas (16:23.08), Spain’s Jimena Perez (16:26.36), China’s Yijie Chen (16:46.26) and Poland’s Paulina Piechota (16:47.23).
In the men’s 400 free final, Japan’s Naito Ehara won the event in 3:47.70, finishing well ahead of the field. Norway’s Henrik Christiansen was second (3:50.76), followed by Poland’s Filip Zaborowski (3:50.99) and Wojciech Wojdak (3:51.89). France’s Nicolas D’Oriano was fifth (3:53.04), followed by Japan’s Shogo Takeda (3:54.78), Portugal’s Miguel-Duarte Nascimento (3:55.61) and Spain’s Miguel Duran (3:57.21).
Germany’s Christian Diener won the men’s 200 back in 1:58.16, followed by Hungary’s Adam Telegdy (1:59.96), Poland’s Radoslaw Kawecki (2:00.05), Bryce Mefford (2:00.12) of the U.S., Switzerland’s Jeremy Desplanches (2:01.29), Kieren Smith (2:02.2) of the U.S., Britain’s Luke Greenback (2:02.41) and Argentina’s Felipe Vargas (2:06.16).
In the women’s 100 breast, Russia’s Yuliya Efimova won easily in 1:05.78, holding off Molly Hannis of the U.S. by more than a second (1:07.17). Japan’s Kanako Watanabe was third (1:07.56), followed by Zoe Bartel (1:08.38) of the U.S., Ireland’s Mona McSharry (1:08.53), Argentina’s Julia Sebastian (1:08.59), Britain’s Kara Hanlon (1:08.92) and Denmark’s Rikke Moeller Pedersen (1:08.95).
Great Britain’s Adam Peaty continued his dominance in the 100 breast, winning in 59.31. He held off Japan’s Yasuhiro Koseki finished second in 59.55, followed by Arno Kamminga (59.59) of the Netherlands, Russia’s Anton Chupkov (1:00.24), Michael Andrew (1:00.66) of the U.S., Japan’s Ippel Watanabe (1:00.83), Lithuania’s Giedrius Titenis (1:01.29) and Britain’s Craig Harry Benson (1:01.70).
In the women’s 200 IM, Hosszu won in 2:11.30. Turkey’s Viktoria Zeynep Gunes was second (2:12.43), followed by Kanako Watanabe (2:13.37), Hungary’s Zsuzuanna Jakambos (2:13.48), Britain’s Aimee Willmott (2:13.64) and Hannah Miley (2:13.96), Belmont and Brooke Forde (2:15.83) of the U.S.
In the men’s 400 IM, Hungary’s Gergely Gyurta won in 4:17.19. Poland’s Dawid Szwedski was second (4:19.68), followed by Spain’s Joan Iluis Pons Ramon (4:21.74), Portugal’s Alexis Manacas Santos (4:23.76), Sweden’s Adam Paulsson (4:25.91), Spain’s Alex Castejon (4:26.32), Britain’s Joe Litchfield (4:28.03) and Gunnar Bentz (4:28.13) of the U.S.
Ikee won the 100 butterfly in 57.47, finishing well ahead of runner-up Liliana Szilagyi of Hungary (58.83). Canada’s Rebecca Smith (58.91) and Danielle Hanus (59.07) were next, followed by Japan’s Miho Teramura (59.74), Israel’s Amit Ivry (1:00.38), Britain’s Tain Bruce (1:00.70) and Cassidy Bayer (1:01.71) of the U.S.
France’s Meshy Metella won the men’s 100 butterfly in 51.93. Poland’s Konrad Czerniak (52.27) and Michal Adam Poprawa (52.84) were next, followed by Hungary’s Bence Pulai (52.92), Mathys Goosen (53.07) and Joeri Verlinden (53.17) of the Netherlands, Desplanches (53.40) and Michael Andrew (53.85).
In the men’s 200 free, Argentina’s Federico Grabich won in 1:50.85, followed by Belgium’s Alexandre Marcourt (1:50.86), France’s Hugo Grosjean (1:51.18), Spain’s Alex Ramos (1:51.42), Belgium’s Louis Croenen (1:51.60), France’s Roman Fuchs (1:51.76) and Alexandre Derache (1:51.79) and Britain’s Calum Jarvis (1:52.15).
