Siobhan Haughey Posts Sizzling 52.55 100 Free At Mare Nostrum; Tomoru Honda Rattles 200 Fly Rankings
Siobhan Haughey underlined her status as an Olympic title contender as she won the 100 free in 52.55 on the second day of the Mare Nostrum tour in Canet-en-Rousillon.
The Hong Kong swimmer had clinched a golden double in the 200 free and 100m breaststroke before returning to the pool on Sunday to post a time bettered in 2024 by only Marrit Steenbergen, who clocked 52.26 en-route to the world title in Doha, and Mollie O’Callaghan‘s 52.27 from the Australian nationals in April.
It was Haughey’s fastest time of the year, 0.01 swifter than the time that secured her silver in Doha, and a full second ahead of Steenbergen (53.55) and Beryl Gastaldello (53.89).
It comes in as joint eighth swiftest of Haughey’s career, topped by her 52.02 Asian record set at the Berlin stop of the World Cup tour in October 2023.
Tomoru Honda: photo courtesy: Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Tomoru Honda also rattled the 200 fly rankings with victory in 1:54.58.
It was the fifth fastest in the world this year with the Japanese owning three of the top five performances, headed by Honda’s rankings topper of 1:53.88.
Genki Terakado made it a Japanese 1-2 in 1:55.87 with Kuan-hung Wang of Chinese Taipei completing the podium in 1:56.49, one place ahead of 2012 Olympic champion Chad le Clos (1:58.20).
Grousset Grabs Sprint Double; Israeli Record For Gorbenko
Maxime Grousset clinched the sprint freestyle double as he added the 100 title to his 50 gold in 48.71 with Dylan Carter (48.97) and Katsuhiro Matsumoto (49.13) joining the Frenchman on the pdoium.
The strength in depth of French backstroke was on display with three home swimmers on the podium across the two 100m races.
Anastasia Gorbenko set an Israeli 400IM record of 4:36.95 en-route to clinching the IM double following her 2:08 in the short medley on Saturday which was also a new national standard.
She was followed home by Japanese pair Mio Narita (4:38.23) and Waka Kobori (4:38.38).
Yohann Ndoye Brouard, European champion over 200m, was a clear winner in 53.59 and the only man inside 54secs ahead of India’s Srihari Nataraj (54.68) and Adam Jaszo (54.88).
Ingrid Wilm of Canada was the only swimmer to break the minute mark in the women’s race, clocking 59.90 ahead of French pair Emma Terebo (1:00.11) and Mary-Ambre Moluh (1:00.44).
Jaouadi Clinches Distance Double
Ippei Watanabe: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Ahmed Jaouadi completed the 400/800 double with victory in the longer race in 7:52.44 ahead of Damien Joly of France who clocked 7:56.90.
Rami Rahmouni made it two Tunisians on the podium with third in 8:01.60.
Ippei Watanabe led a Japanese 1-2 in the men’s 200m breaststroke with a 2:07.62 victory ahead of Yu Hanaguruma who clocked 2:08.40 as the pair reversed their finishing order of the 100,
Marc Antoine was next home in 2:10.92.
Spain’s Jessica Vall won the women’s race, the 35-year-old touching in 2:25.92 ahead of En-Yi-Letitia Sim (2:27.51) and Kara Hanlon (2:28.66).
Tomoyuchi Matsushita was the only man inside 2mins in the 200IM in 1:58.87.
Anastasia Kirpichnikova went fourth in the 1500 rankings on Saturday and returned the following day for a real tussle in the 400 with Valentine Dumont.
Ultimately the women couldn’t be separated as they shared the gold in 4:08.99 with Waka Kobori of Japan following the pair home in 4:09.49.
Sarah Dumont won the women’s 200 fly in 2:09.92 ahead of Maria Jose Mata Cocco (2:10.54) and Julia Pujadas Rusinol (2:11.01).
Nyls Korstanje upgraded 100 fly bronze to gold in the 50m dash, the Netherlands swimmer clocking 23.22 ahead of Szebasztian Szabo (23.47) and Dylan Carter (23.50).
Sara Junevik won the women’s one-length event in 25.74 with the Swede followed home by Melanie Henique in 25.86 and Neza Klancar (26.28).
Taku Taniguchi added 50m breaststroke gold to 100m bronze in 27.49 with Sophie Hansson heading the women’s field in 30.59.
I reckon all 3 medallists in the Women’s 100m freestyle at Paris will have to break 52 seconds. Probably a WR to win. Infact the same may very well apply at the Aussie Trials beforehand!