Kristof Milak Sets Mare Nostrum Record In 100 Fly; Sarah Sjostrom Scorches In The Sprints As Tour Ends In Monaco
Kristof Milak set a Mare Nostrum 100 fly record of 50.70 on the final day of the tour with the Hungarian’s performances in Monaco indicating some fine times to come at Paris 2024.
Milak had matched the previous record of 50.95 on the Barcelona leg before slicing a further 0.20secs from that time, splitting 23.76/26.99 as the finals session on the last day of the tour was delayed because of issues with the pool filters.
Kristof Milak: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
The Hungarian set the previous standard back in June 2021 and weeks later would go on to win 200 gold and 100 silver at the Olympics in Tokyo, setting a WR in the former and a European record of 49.68 in the latter.
It was the sixth-fastest performance of 2024, headed by Canadian Josh Liendo’s 50.06, and follows his 1:53.94 over 200m on Saturday, the fastest ever seen in Barcelona.
It augurs well for Milak who arrived at the Mare Nostrum without the usual level of preparation at this stage of the Olympic year.
The 24-year-old pulled out of the 2023 worlds in Fukuoka to focus on his mental health and his subsequent return to the water has been more stop than start.
Milak will compete at the European Championships in Belgrade, where he’ll face Olympic bronze medallist Noe Ponti of Switzerland, with the pair set to renew acquaintance at Paris 2024.
The Swiss athlete, who stands second in the 2024 rankings with a time of 50.16 from April’s National Championships, was second in 51.25 with Katsuhiro Matsumoto of Japan going 51.70 for third.
Haughey & Gorbenko Conclude Golden Tour
Siobhan Haughey: Photo Courtesy: Emily Cameron
Siobhan Haughey concluded a golden Mare Nostrum tour with a 52.72 victory in the 100 free to sweep the 100/200 free double at all three legs of the series.
Splitting 25.72/27.00, the Hong Kong athlete posted her second-fastest time over the three meets following her 52.55 in Canet – swifter than the time in which she claimed silver at the Doha worlds and eclipsed only by Marrit Steenbergen and Mollie O’Callaghan in 2024 – and 52.76 in Barcelona.
The double Olympic silver medallist also set a Mare Nostrum 200 record of 1:54.57 in Barcelona before lowering it to 1:54.53 in Monaco.
Marie Wattel was 1.61secs adrift in second with 54.33, 0.20 ahead of Nagisa Ikemoto of Japan (54.63).
Anastasia Gorbenko has rewritten the Israeli record books time and again during the tour to hint at going within touching distance of the Paris podium should she replicate her form in the French capital next month.
She leaves the tour with new standards in the 400IM (4:34.79), 200IM (2:08.55) and 200 back (2:08.45).
On Sunday, the world 400IM silver medallist completed the medley double with a 2:09.19 over 200m ahead of Japanese pair Hiroko Makino (2:11.66) and Shiho Matsumoto (2:11.74).
That followed her victory in the 100 back in which she pulled away on the second 50 to post the only time inside a minute in 59.58, 0.28 off her 59.30 national standard from the Tokyo Games.
Ingrid Wilm (1:00.14) and Rio Shirai (1:00.71) followed the Israeli home.
Hwang & Schouten At The Double
Hwang Sunwoo added the 200 free title to the 100, leading home Lee Hojoon for a Korean 1-2 in 1:46.23 to 1:46.63.
The world champion led throughout to follow up his 100 free win on Saturday where he set a Mare Nostrum record of 47.91.
Kregor Zirk of Estonia was third in 1:47.89 with Milak fourth in 1:48.02.
Tes Schouten: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Tes Schouten completed the 100/200 breaststroke double, the 2024 world champion dominating the longer race throughout to take the touch in 2:23.46.
Kotryna Teterevkova of Lithuania was second in 2:25.46 with Czechia’s Kristyna Horksa next home in 2:26.48.
Yu Hanaguruma upgraded 200m breaststroke silver to 100 gold in 59.46 with Olympic silver medallist Arno Kamminga moving from fourth at halfway to take second in 59.58.
Netherlands teammate Caspar Corbeau joined Kamminga on the podium, 0.15 back in 59.73.
A 29.19 final 50 guided Lee Juho to victory in the men’s 200 back.
The South Korea athlete was just 0.02 ahead of Apostolos Christou at the final turn before he moved away to take the title in 1:56.40 to 1:57.62.
Hidekazu Takehara completed the podium in 1:58.25.
Bach Flies To Victory
Helena Rosendahl Bach enjoyed a clear win in the 200 fly, stopping the clock at 2:07.31 which was 0.13 quicker than the 2:07.44 that guided her to silver at the 2024 worlds in Doha.
Dalma Sebestyen of Hungary was more than 2secs adrift in 2:09.53 with Maria-Jose Mata Cocco third home in 2:10.37.
Tomoyuki Matsushita made it a clean sweep of 400IM victories across all three legs of the Mare Nostrum in 4:18.28.
Waka Kobori was the only woman inside 4:10 in the 400 free, going 4:08.53 for victory.
Sjostrom Scorches In Sprints
The sprint finals were condensed as a result of the delay with finals comprising four swimmers rather than two athletes going head to head.
Sarah Sjostrom claimed a golden double, starting off with a 24.95 blast in the 50 fly, the Swede the only woman inside 26secs and 1.18 ahead of teammate Louise Hansson who clocked 26.13.
Sarah Sjostrom: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
She returned for the final event of the Mare Nostrum where she posted an eye-watering 23.84 in the 50 free, 0.23 off her world record of 23.61 and the 11th fastest of her career.
It was the second-swiftest in the world in 2024, eclipsed only by Sjostrom’s 23.69 en-route to gold at the Doha worlds.
Fellow Swede Michelle Coleman clocked 24.48 followed by Petra Senanszky (24.57) and Florine Gaspard (24.83).
Ian Ho won the men’s 50 free in 21.86, 0.03 outside his Hong Kong record, followed by the Netherlands pair of Renzo Tjon A Joe (21.95) and Kenzo Simons (22.13) with Albert Mestre of Venezuela finishing fourth in 22.23.
Ponti won the men’s 50 fly in 23.36 as the four men were separated by 0.32.
He was followed by Thomas Verhoeven (23.47), world record-holder Andrii Govorov (23.62) and Stergios-marios Bilas (23.68).
Kamminga led home Corbeau for a Netherlands 1-2 in the men’s 50 breaststroke in 27.15 to 27.32 with Taku Taniguchi of Japan (27.42) and Kyrgyzstan’s Denis Petrashov (27.46) completing the quartet.
Skyler Smith of the USA took the women’s crown in 30.55, 0.04 ahead of Reona Aoki (30.59) followed by Commonwealth champion Lara van Niekerk (30.88) and fellow South Africa Mikaela Goelst (31.95).
Wilm won the women’s 50 back, the Canadian the sole swimmer inside 28 in 27.90 with Apostolos Christou of Greece winning the men’s race in 24.79, the only man to break 25.
Sjostrom has got both handsvon the 50m Freestyle Gold at Paris! Hoping she breaksvher iwn WR!
Milak could do the double in Butterfly with Miss Consistency Haughey surely a medallist in 100m & 200m Freestyle. Finally the improving Gorbenko is a strng minor medals contender in both IM’s!