Mare Nostrum Canet: Kylie Masse, Pieter Coetze Win Two Each; Sarah Sjostrom Impressive in 50 Freestyle
After previous stops in Monaco and Barcelona, the Mare Nostrum tour is concluding this weekend in Canet, France, and the first of two finals sessions saw backstrokers Kylie Masse and Pieter Coetze each claim two titles. Meanwhile, world-record holder Sarah Sjostrom blasted an impressive effort in the women’s 50 freestyle, and Olympic gold medalist Tom Dean won his signature 200 freestyle, while fellow Tokyo gold medalists Yui Ohashi and Lydia Jacoby were also in action.
Women’s 50 Backstroke
Canada’s Kylie Masse finished three tenths ahead of the field in the shortest women’s backstroke race. She touched in 27.47, about three tenths off her season-best mark of 27.18 that ranks second in the world behind American Katharine Berkoff. France’s Analia Pigree placed second in 27.76, just five hundredths ahead of another Canadian, Ingrid Wilm (27.81).
Men’s 50 Backstroke
South Africa’s Pieter Coetze touched out Michael Andrew of the U.S. in the men’s 50 back, with Coetzee’s mark of 24.75 four hundredths quicker than Andrew’s 24.79. France’s Yohann Ndoye-Brouard grabbed third in 25.00.
Women’s 50 Freestyle
Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom looks like the best 50 freestyler in the world right now, and she was lights-out in Canet with a winning time of 24.11, six tenths ahead of the field and just three hundredths off her season-best mark of 24.08 from the first stop of the Mare Nostrum tour in Monaco. No other swimmer has been that fast this season, with Australia’s Shayna Jack sitting second in the world at 24.75. The rest of the field in Canet was more than six tenths back, with France’s Melanie Henique taking second (24.75) and Great Britain’s Anna Hopkin placing third (24.76).
Men’s 50 Freestyle
Great Britain’s Ben Proud continued his preparation for a busy summer of racing that includes the World Championships, European Championships and Commonwealth Games. He won the men’s splash-and-dash in 21.85, while Olympic bronze medalist Bruno Fratus of Brazil was second in 21.99. Third went to the Netherlands’ Jesse Puts in 22.08.
Women’s 1500 Freestyle
Hungary’s Viktoria Mihalyvari Farkas finished first in the women’s 1500 freestyle in a time of 16:23.02, while Portugal’s Tamila Holub (16:38.40) and Great Britain’s Amber Keegan (16:42.50) were second and third, respectively.
Men’s 400 Freestyle
France’s Joris Bouchaut was the only man to slip under 3:50 in the men’s 400 free final as he touched one second ahead of the field in 3:49.66. Germany’s Henning Muhlleitner, who tied for fourth in this event at the Olympics after he was the surprise top qualifier out of prelims, finished second in 3:50.80, and third went to Estonia’s Kregor Zirk (3:51.12).
Women’s 200 Backstroke
It was the second victory of the day for Canada’s Kylie Masse as she pulled away to win the 200 back. Masse was the Olympic silver medalist in this event, and she ranks sixth in the world for 2022 at 2:07.66. Here, her mark of 2:09.34 was a second-and-a-half ahead of the field, with Hungary’s Eszter Szabo Feltothy (2:10.98) and France’s Pauline Mahieu (2:11.10) also finishing among the top three.
Men’s 200 Backstroke
South Africa’s Pieter Coetze also claimed his second win as he won the men’s 200 back in 1:58.27, about six tenths ahead of Olympic bronze medalist Luke Greenbank of Great Britain. Greenbank;s time was 1:58.88, and France’s Mewen Tomac was third (1:59.54).
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
Germany’s Anna Elendt has produced an impressive week of performances on the Mare Nostrum tour, and that run continued with a win in the 100 breast in Canet. Elendt is the third-ranked swimmer in the world (1:05.58), and here she swam a time of 1:06.40 to out-pace Japan’s Reona Aoki, who finished second in 1:06.74. Aoki holds the world’s top time at 1:05.19. The USA’s Lydia Jacoby, the Olympic gold medalist in this event and Elendt’s future teammate at the University of Texas, finished third in 1:06.77.
Men’s 100 Breaststroke
The Netherlands’ Arno Kamminga was the class of the field in the men’s 100 breast as he propelled himself to a time of 59.43. Kamminga currently ranks third in the world behind Americans Nic Fink and Michael Andrew, but he was the Olympic silver medalist in both breaststroke events last year, and with Adam Peaty set to miss the World Championships, Kammiga will enter the Budapest meet favored for gold. Also sneaking under 1:00 was Japan’s Ryuya Mura (59.99), and Brazil’s Joao Gomes placed third (1:00.44).
Women’s 200 IM
Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh scored a big victory in the shorter of the two medley races as she beat a strong field that included the Olympic gold medalist (Yui Ohashi) and the world-record holder (Katinka Hosszu). McIntosh won in 2:10.75, moving into a tie for eighth in the world, while Ohashi edged out Great Britain’s Abbey Wood for second, 2:11.28 to 2:11.35. Finishing outside the top three were Japan’s Riko Omoto (2:11.99), Hosszu (2:12.30) and Canada’s Sydney Pickrem (2:12.35).
Pickrem and Mary-Sophie Harvey (who placed eighth here) will be Canada’s representatives in the 200 IM at World Championships, but McIntosh could add this to her schedule in the future. She is currently ranked No. 1 in the world in the 400 IM at 4:29.12.
Men’s 400 IM
South Africa’s Matt Sates continued his strong week at Mare Nostrum as he beat out Hungary’s David Verraszto, a swimmer 15 years his senior, in the 400 IM. Sates won in 4:13.05, and the veteran Verraszto placed second in 4:15.30. Great Britain’s Max Litchfield had the third-best time of the day at 4:19.74.
Women’s 100 Butterfly
It was a stellar effort from Canada’s Louise Hansson in the 100 fly as she put away Olympic gold medalist Maggie Mac Neil of Canada. Hansson won in 57.15, while Mac Neil was second in 57.61, with France’s Marie Wattel third (57.75). Hansson currently sits fourth in the world in the 100 fly (57.89), while Mac Neil ranks fifth (57.13).
Men’s 100 Butterfly
Japan’s Naoki Mizunuma got the better of Swiss Olympic bronze medalist Noe Ponti in the men’s version of the 100 fly. Mizunuma’s time was 51.42, four tenths ahead of Ponti’s 51.83, while South African veteran Chad le Clos came in at 52.14 for third place.
Women’s 200 Freestyle
France’s Charlotte Bonnet edged out Great Britain’s Freya Anderson in the women’s 200 free with a time of 1:57.35, while Anderson grabbed second in 1:57.48. Canada’s Penny Oleksiak, who took the bronze medal in this event at the Olympics, was third in 1:57.77, while American teenager Erin Gemmell finished fourth (1:57.95).
Men’s 200 Freestyle
Olympic gold medalist Tom Dean of Great Britain was the only man under 1:47 in the 200 free final. He swam a time of 1:46.94, a little over a second back of his sixth-ranked season-best time of 1:45.73. Japan’s Katsuhiro Matsumoto challenged Dean, but he ended up second in 1:47.18. Third place went to Brazil’s Fernando Scheffer, the Olympic bronze medalist in this race, in 1:48.45.