Daniel Wiffen Heads 800 Free As Mare Nostrum Gets Underway In Barcelona
Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen headed the 800 free on the first day of the Barcelona stop of the Mare Nostrum series.
The Irishman clocked 7:45.17 for his second-fastest of the season behind his 7:41.52 at the Irish Open ahead of Ahmed Jaouadi (7:46.37) with third-placed Tommasso Griffante almost 12 seconds adrift in third (7:58.27). It was a meet record for Wiffen who took a chunk off Henrik Christiansen’s previous mark of 7:48.19 that had stood since June 2019.
The men’s distance events are set to feature drama and intrigue come the World Championships in Singapore. Sven Schwarz set a European record of 7:38.12 at the German Championships earlier this month to become the third-fastest in a textile suit in history and shave 0.07 from Wiffen’s continental mark set en-route to gold at Paris 2024. German men fill the top three slots in the 2025 rankings with Lukas Märtens (7:39.10) and Florian Wellbrock (7:41.10) following Schwarz and Wiffen fourth. The US and Australian trials may well shake up the rankings courtesy of Bobby Finke and Sam Short.
Noè Ponti was the only man inside 52 as he dominated the 100 fly in 51.05 while Duncan Scott headed a University of Stirling 1-2 in the 200 free, leading home Jack McMillan in 1:47.35 to 1:47.98 with Danas Rapsys third in 1:48.13. Scott anchored the Team GB 4×2 free relay to victory at Paris 2024 where McMillan had swum prelims to also claim a gold medal. Another member of the winning quartet, Tom Dean, was third in 1:48.86.
Van Wijk Reverses 100 Free Outcome; Ohashi – 16 – Goes 2:09
Milou van Wijk: Photo Courtesy: KNZB
Milou van Wijk reversed the Monaco order of the 100 free when she won in 53.56, 0.05 off her season’s best at the Flanders Cup in February. Siobhan Haughey – Sunday’s winner – was second in 53.88 while Barbora Seemanova was next home in 54.25.
Kirill Prigoda came from 0.09 down at the final turn to win the men’s 200 breaststroke in 2:08.38 with 16-year-old Shin Ohashi going 2:09.04.
A strong second half saw Simona Quadarella pull clear as she won the 400 free in 4:07.00 with Francisca Soares Martins second in 4:08.68.
A 31.42 second 50 steered Anna Elendt away from the field and into the wall in 1:06.55 in the women’s 100m breaststroke. Anastasia Gorbenko was second (1:06.93) and Alina Zmushka third in 1:07.20. Gorbenko returned to take the 200IM in 2:09.85.
Kliment Kolesnikov was the only man to break 54secs in the men’s 100 back as the Tokyo silver medallist touched in 53.91. Ksawery Masiuk was second in 54.25 with Adam Jaszo third in 54.99. Kolesnikov tops the world rankings with his 52.04 at the Russian Championships.
Just 0.04 separated the top three in the men’s 50m breaststroke. Ilya Shymanovich got the touch by 0.02 ahead of Ludovico Viberti in 27.07 to 27.09 with Nicolo Martinenghi third in 27.11. Shymanovich – swimming as a neutral athlete – continued the form that saw him claim two titles on day two of the first stop in Monaco where he followed up the 100 breast with victory in the head to head with Viberti.
Victory For Hill & First Journey To 21 For Elaraby
Danielle Hill: Photo Courtesy: Swim Ireland
Danielle Hill headed the women’s 50 back where the first three home were separated by 0.14. The Irishwoman clocked 27.85 ahead of Ingrid Wilm (27.88) and Tessa Giele (27.99). Hill was 0.21 off her Irish record of 27.64 set at the Ulster Championships in May last year.
Abdulrahman Elaraby matched Ali Khalafalla’s Egyptian record of 21.94 in the men’s 50 free in which he was the only man inside 22secs. It was a PB for Elaraby whose previous best stood at 22.18 from the 2024 Westmont Pro Series.
Lewis Clareburt led throughout to take the men’s 400IM in 4:13.33 with a duel between Gabor Zombori and Alberto Razzetti unfolding behind him. The Hungarian led by 0.50 going into the freestyle leg, a deficit Razzetti turned into a 0.07 advantage by the final turn before a 27.68 last 50 propelled him into the wall in 4:15.89, almost a second ahead of Zombori (4:16.86).
Anastasia Shkurdai took the women’s 200 back in 2:10.23, Arina Surkova won the women’s 50 fly in 25.82 with Laura Cabanes Garzas dominating the 200 fly in 2:09.99.