The first day of finals at the last stop of the 2019 Mare Nostrum in Barcelona will feature 16 events. Some of the world’s best swimmers are in attendance including Katinka Hosszu and Adam Peaty. Some of the best junior swimmers in the United States are also in attendance including Phoebe Bacon and Carson Foster.
The meet is currently being streamed on Olympic Channel.
Women’s 1500 Free
Argentina’s Delfina Pignatiello won the 1500 to start the day at the Mare Nostrum in Barcelona with a 15:51.68. She won ahead of Spain’s Mireia Belmonte (16:09.71) and Hungary’s Boglarka Kapas (16:15.18).
The time puts Pignatiello third in the world rankings for 2019 behind Katie Ledecky and Wang Jianjiahe. The time is also a new Argentine record for Pignatiello, lowering her 15:59 from the 2017 World Juniors. She is also now 11th all-time in the 1500 and is the fastest ever swimmer from South America.
Pignatiello has had herself quite the week at the Mare Nostrum as she scored best times and new Argentine Records in the 400 (4:06.61) and 800 (8:24.33). She could be in line to win her first individual medal at the world senior level. Pignatiello won the 800 and 1500 free at the 2017 World Juniors and won two silvers at the 2018 Youth Olympics in front of the Argentine crowd in Buenos Aires.
Results:
- Delfina Pignatiello, ARG, 15:51.68
- Mireia Belmonte, ESP, 16:09.71
- Boglarka Kapas, HUN, 16:15.18
- Jimena Perez, ESP, 16:18.14
- Madelyn Donohoe, USA, 16:19.46
- Tamila Holub, POR, 16:20.51
- Giulia Salin, FIN, 16:23.68
- Miyu Namba, JPN, 16:33.79
2019 World Rankings:
- Katie Ledecky, USA, 15:45.59
- Wang Jianjiahe, CHN, 15:46.69
- Delfina Pignatiello, ARG, 15:51.68
- Kiah Melverton, AUS, 15:58.09
- Madeline Gough, AUS, 15:58.26
- Simona Quadarella, ITA, 16:04.02
- Sarah Kohler, GER, 16:06.68
- Waka Kobori, JPN, 16:11.00
Men’s 50 Back
Michael Andrew was the only one to break 25 seconds in the 50 back on Saturday at the Mare Nostrum in Barcelona. He swam a 24.67 to win ahead of Brazil’s Guilherme Guido (25.15) and Greece’s Apostolos Christou (25.33). Andrew’s time is just off his season best of 24.66 from the TYR Pro Swim Series in Richmond in April. Andrew is currently seventh in the world rankings for 2019.
Results:
- Michael Andrew, USA, 24.67
- Guilherme Guido, BRA, 25.15
- Apostolos Christou, GRE, 25.33
- Sergey Fesikov, RUS, 25.42
- Juan Segura, ESP, 25.51
- Tomoe Hvas, NOR, 25.55
- Simone Sabbioni, ITA, 26.14
- Martyn Walton, GBR, 26.21
Women’s 50 Breast
Yulia Efimova took care of business in the 50 breast on Saturday at the Mare Nostrum in Barcelona as she won with a 30.17. The time is a little off Efimova’s season best of 29.93 from the FINA Champions Series in Indianapolis as she is second in the world rankings for 2019. Efimova won ahead of Pinheiros’ Jhennifer Conceicao (30.65) and Italy’s Arianna Castiglioni (31.05). The top three have all been faster this year.
Results:
- Yulia Efimova, RUS, 30.17
- Jhennifer Conceicao, BRA, 30.65
- Arianna Castiglioni, ITA, 31.05
- Martina Carraro, ITA, 31.14
- Jessica Vall, ESP, 31.39
- Sophie Hansson, SWE, 31.53
- Julia Sebastian, ARG, 31.60
- Matilde Schroeder, DEN, 31.79
Men’s 50 Fly
Russia’s Mikhail Vekovischev (23.68) won the 50 fly final ahead of Michael Andrew (23.76), who swam his second race of the day after winning the 50 back. Vekovischev has been faster this year with his 23.48 from April’s National Championships. Kristian Gkolomeev of Greece was third at 23.80.
Results:
- Mikhail Vekovischev, RUS, 23.68
- Michael Andrew, USA, 23.76
- Kristian Gkolomeev, GRE, 23.80
- Konrad Czerniak, POL, 23.87
- Alberto Lozano, ESP, 23.92
- Vini Lanza, BRA, 24.00
- Daniel Martin, ROU, 24.09
- Niksa Stojkovski, NOR, 24.10
Women’s 400 IM
Katinka Hosszu won the 400 IM with the world’s fastest time on Saturday at the Mare Nostrum Barcelona stop. Hosszu swam a 4:32.52 to dominate the rest of the field. She won by nearly nine seconds over Anja Crevar (4:41.03) of Slovenia and Hannah Miley (4:41.10) of Great Britain. Hosszu had a season best with this swim as she was a 4:33.06 in April in Stockholm. She was second in the world but is now leading the world rankings ahead of Japan’s Yui Ohashi (4:33.06), who had the fastest time of 2018 as well.
Hosszu did not swim the 400 IM at European Championships in 2018. She said that since September, she has been able to be consistent again with her training after some bumps in her personal life.
Hosszu was the World Champion in the 400 IM 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2017. She was the second swimmer to win the same event at the World Championships four times after Sarah Sjostrom won the 100 fly the same amount of times.
Results:
- Katinka Hosszu, HUN, 4:32.52
- Anja Crevar, SLO, 4:41.03
- Hannah Miley, GBR, 4:41.10
- Mireia Belmonte, ESP, 4:43.65
- Emma Weyant, USA, 4:43.86
- Aimee Willmott, GBR, 4:44.22
- Claudia Hufnagl, AUT, 4:47.93
- Catalina Corro, ESP, 4:48.34
2019 World Rankings:
- Katinka Hosszu, HUN, 4:32.52
- Yui Ohashi, JPN, 4:33.06
- Sydney Pickrem, CAN, 4:35.15
- Mireia Belmonte, ESP, 4:36.09
- Aimee Willmott, GBR, 4:36.98
- Ella Eastin, USA, 4:37.18
- Ilaria Cusinato, ITA, 4:37.45
- Ye Shiwen, CHN, 4:37.57
Men’s 100 Free
Brazil’s Breno Correia won the 100 free to be the only swimmer to break 49 seconds in the heat. Correia has been faster this year with a 48.11 but he was still able to win Saturday at the Mare Nostrum Barcelona stop with a 48.89. Correia won ahead of 2018 European Champion Alessandro Miressi (49.16) and fellow Brazilians Marcelo Chierighini and Gabriel Santos (49.30).
Results:
- Breno Correia, BRA, 48.89
- Alessandro Miressi, ITA, 49.16
- Marcelo Chierighini, BRA, 49.30
- Gabriel Santos, BRA, 49.30
- Santo Condorelli, ITA, 49.36
- Nils Liess, SUI, 49.79
- Kacper Majchrzak, POL, 50.00
- Kieran Smith, USA, 50.25
Women’s 100 Back
Canada’s Taylor Ruck won a tight race ahead of USA’s Phoebe Bacon in the 100 back on Saturday at the Mare Nostrum Barcelona stop. Ruck swam a 59.88 ahead of Bacon’s 59.90. Ruck currently sits second in the world rankings with a 58.55 from Canadian Trials in April after she completed her freshman season at Stanford. The time is a new season best for Bacon, who was a 59.93 in January at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Knoxville. Bacon currently sits 19th in the world rankings.
Third place went to USA’s Alex Walsh (1:00.52) and Poland’s Alicja Tchorz (1:00.75) was fourth.
Results:
- Taylor Ruck, CAN, 59.88
- Phoebe Bacon, USA, 59.90
- Alex Walsh, USA, 1:00.52
- Alicja Tchorz, POL, 1:00.75
- Georgia Davies, GBR, 1:01.18
- Isabel Ivey, USA, 1:01.19
- Jess Fullalova, GBR, 1:01.33
- Stephanie Au, HKG, 1:01.50
Men’s 100 Breast
Adam Peaty broke the Mare Nostrum record with a 58.15 in the 100 breast on Saturday in Barcelona, lowering his 58.78 from earlier this year in Canet. Peaty has been faster this year with his 57.87 from the British Swimming Championships in April. He won ahead of fellow Brit James Wilby (59.42), who was a 58.66 earlier this year as well. Those two are a solid 1-2 punch for Great Britain moving forward to the World Championships in five weeks.
Wilby was second in Barcelona tonight and Brazil’s Felipe Lima (59.90) was third. The top three were the only ones to break 1:00 in the final.
Results:
- Adam Peaty, GBR, 58.15 MR
- James Wilby, GBR, 59.42
- Felipe Lima, BRA, 59.90
- Fabio Scozzoli, ITA, 1:00.29
- Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA, 1:00.37
- Nic Fink, USA, 1:00.48
- Kirill Prigoda, RUS, 1:01.11
- Christopher Rothbauer, AUT, 1:01.23
Women’s 50 Free
Denmark’s Pernille Blume won the 50 free on Saturday at the Mare Nostrum Barcelona with a 24.36. Blume has been faster this year with a 24.08 at the FINA Champions Series in Indianapolis as she sits third in the world rankings for 2019. She won ahead of Mariia Kameneva (24.75) of Russia, who has also been faster this year with a 24.32 in April. Spain’s Lidon Munoz (24.91) was third and Great Britain’s Anna Hopkin (24.99) was fourth. Hopkin just finished her junior season at the University of Arkansas.
Results:
- Pernille Blume, DEN, 24.36
- Mariia Kameneva, RUS, 24.75
- Lidon Munoz, ESP, 24.91
- Anna Hopkin, GBR, 24.99
- Michelle Coleman, SWE, 25.03
- Gretchen Walsh, USA, 25.36
- Barbara Seemanova, CZE, 25.48
- Theodora Drakou, GRE, 25.72
Men’s 200 Back
17-year-old Carson Foster won the 200 back on Saturday at the Mare Nostrum Barcelona stop. He swam a 1:58.88, which is a season best for him. Foster won ahead of Texas A&M sophomore Shaine Casas (1:59.50) and Great Britain’s Luke Greenbank (1:59.63). The time puts Foster as the fifth fastest American for 2019.
Radoslaw Kawecki (1:59.79) and Hugo Gonzalez (1:59.87) also broke 2:00 in the event.
Results:
- Carson Foster, USA, 1:58.88
- Shaine Casas, USA, 1:59.50
- Luke Greenbank, GBR, 1:59.63
- Radoslaw Kawecki, POL, 1:59.79
- Hugo Gonzalez, ESP, 1:59.87
- Roman Mityukov, SUI, 2:02.03
- Brandonn Almeida, BRA, 2:02.28
- Christian Diener, GER, 2:02.52
Women’s 200 Breast
Russia’s Yulia Efimova swam a 2:21.60 to comfortably win the 200 breast on Saturday at the Mare Nostrum Barcelona stop. Efimova sits third in the world rankings with her 2:21.59 from the FINA Champions Series in Indianapolis when she went toe to toe with Lilly King. Efimova won ahead of Jessica Vall (2:25.59), swimming in front of her home crowd in Barcelona.
Great Britain’s Molly Renshaw was third at 2:25.98.
Results:
- Yulia Efimova, RUS, 2:21.60
- Jessica Vall, ESP, 2:25.59
- Molly Renshaw, GBR, 2:25.98
- Mariia Temnikova, RUS, 2:26.07
- Marina Garcia, ESP, 2:26.31
- Julia Sebastian, ARG, 2:26.67
- Sophie Hansson, SWE, 2:28.77
- Anna Kroniger, GER, 2:29.21
Men’s 200 Fly
David Thomasberger won the 200 fly in Barcelona with a 1:57.38. He held off a hard charge from Canada’s Mack Darragh (1:57.99), who closed in a 30.42. Brazil’s Luiz Melo (1:58.63) placed third just ahead of Maxim Schemberev (1:58.65) of Azerbaijan.
Results:
- David Thomasberger, GER, 1:57.38
- Mack Darragh, CAN, 1:57.99
- Luiz Melo, BRA, 1:58.63
- Maxim Schemberev, AZE, 1:58.65
- Jan Switkowski, POL, 2:00.20
- Francisco Chacon, ARG, 2:00.35
- Richard Nagy, SVK, 2:00.78
- Christian Ferraro, ITA, 2:06.18
Women’s 100 Fly
Katinka Hosszu won her second event of the day with a 57.80 in the 100 fly at the Mare Nostrum in Barcelona. The time is a season best for Hosszu, who swam a 58.68 in March. Canada’s Rebecca Smith (58.81) was second and Angelina Koehler (59.01) was third.
Results:
- Katinka Hosszu, HUN, 57.80
- Rebecca Smith, CAN, 58.81
- Angelina Koehler, GER, 59.01
- Penny Oleksiak, CAN, 59.11
- Siobhan O’Connor, GBR, 59.13
- Anna Ntountounaki, GRE, 59.27
- Jeanette Ottesen, DEN, 59.62
- Anais Arlandis, MON, 1:00.43
Men’s 200 IM
Great Britain went 1-2 in the 200 IM with Tom Dean (1:59.35) and Duncan Scott (1:59.83) taking the top two spots. Carson Foster finished in third at 2:00.51 just minutes after winning the 200 back. Foster was just off his 2:00.13 from Knoxville in January. Dean was also faster this year as he was a 1:58.89 in April.
Results:
- Tom Dean, GBR, 1:59.35
- Duncan Scott, GBR, 1:59.83
- Carson Foster, USA, 2:00.51
- Kieran Smith, USA, 2:01.63
- Andreas Vazaios, GRE, 2:02.25
- Max Litchfield, GBR, 2:02.33
- Tomoe Hvas, NOR, 2:03.98
- Hugo Gonzalez, ESP, 2:05.37
Women’s 200 Free
Czech Republic’s Barbara Seemanova (1:57.72) won the 200 free in a tight race with Canada’s Kayla Sanchez (1:57.78). Sanchez lowered her season best from her 1:58.28 in April. Seemanova was just off her 1:57.40 from May.
Results:
- Barbara Seemanova, CZE, 1:57.72
- Kayla Sanchez, CAN, 1:57.78
- Julia Mrozinski, GER, 1:58.41
- Holly Hibbott, GBR, 1:58.74
- Veronika Andrusenko, RUS, 1:58.93
- Reva Foos, GER, 1:59.41
- Nagisa Ikemoto, JPN, 2:00.18
- Viktoriya Beliakova, RUS, 2:00.52
Men’s 400 Free
Russia’s Aleksandr Krasnykh won the 400 free (3:48.72) just ahead of Norway’s Henrik Christiansen (3:48.85). Krasnykh was a 3:45 earlier in the year and Christiansen was a 3:46 in April.
Results:
- Aleksandr Krasnykh, RUS, 3:48.72
- Henrik Christiansen, NOR, 3:48.85
- Jan Micka, CZE, 3:50.07
- Miguel Duran, ESP, 3:50.28
- Kristof Milak, HUN, 3:51.10
- Daniel Jervis, GBR, 3:51.26
- Victor Johansson, SWE, 3:51.57
- Wojciech Wojdak, POL, 3:52.06
Competitors are swimming faster than ever as training and stroke techniques evolve, but I gotta think some day a coach is going to ask, why are you pushing so much water with your chest during breaststroke?