Siobhan Haughey Looks Sharp in 200 Freestyle as Mare Nostrum Tour Opens; McKenzie Siroky Sizzles in 50 Breaststroke
The Mare Nostrum Series has been a staple of the swimming calendar for years, and this year’s version of the tour opened on Saturday with action in Monaco. With a strong gathering of elite athletes in attendance, it was unsurprising that this year’s edition was jumpstarted by several swift performances. In addition to finals in multiple events, quarterfinals were held in the 50-meter strokes, which set the stage for the semifinals on Sunday.
Here is a recap of Day One action in Monaco:
Siobhan Haughey Unleashes Stellar Performance
A two-time Olympic medalist in the event, Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey overwhelmed the competition in the 200 freestyle, as she moved to No. 3 in the world for the 2026 campaign. Haughey led from start to finish on the way to a performance of 1:54.27, which was good for a Mare Nostrum series record and comfortable triumph over New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather, who went 1:56.10.
Haughey was out in 26.67 for the opening 50 meters and split 55.64 at the midway point of the race, where she held a .44 advantage over Fairweather. From there, Haughey pulled away, on the strength of splits of 29.25 and 29.38. Only Australian Mollie O’Callaghan (1:53.52) and Canada’s Summer McIntosh (1:53.80) have been faster than Haughey this year.
Haughey was the silver medalist in the 200 freestyle at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, and followed that showing with a bronze medal in the event at the 2024 Games in Paris. She has been sub-1:55 on three occasions during 2026, a positive sign for what is to come later in the year.
Hungarians Kristof Milak and Richard Marton Land Titles
Coming off a strong showing at the Hungarian Nationals, where he blistered a 50-low clocking in the 100 butterfly, Kristof Milak had too much for the opposition in the 100 freestyle. Milak bolted to the front of the field on the opening lap and held on for victory in 48.13, with the United States’ Patrick Sammon (48.20) and Hungarian Nandor Nemeth (48.59) placing second and third.
In the 200 butterfly, a stellar duel developed with Hungary’s Richard Marton snaring the win in 1:56.72, one of three performances under the 1:57 barrier. The United States’ Gabriel Jett (1:56.85) and Italian Alberto Razetti (1:56.87) also cracked 1:57. Razzetti returned to the pool later in the session to win the 200 individual medley in 1:59.76.
In Other Action
The Netherlands’ Caspar Corbeau and Russia’s Kirill Prigoda battled to the wall in the 200 breaststroke, with Corbeau securing a narrow victory in 2:09.11. Corbeau took command during the middle laps and was able to fend off a late charge by Prigoda, who touched in a time of 2:09.51. That event was followed by the final of the women’s 100 breaststroke, where Canadian Alexanne Lepage prevailed in 1:06.80, followed by the Netherlands’ Tes Schouten in 1:07.12. Lepage went 1:06.49 during prelims.
Sweden’s Victor Johansson finished ahead of the field in the men’s 400 freestyle, behind a time of 3:46.57, while Argentina’s Agostina Hein continued to excel, as she dominated the women’s 400 individual medley. Hein has recorded a number of impressive swims across multiple events over the past year, and Saturday featured a 4:36.21 clocking in the 400 IM. Hein is the South American record holder in the event at 4:34.34.
50-Meter Stroke Events (Quarterfinals Roundup)
The United States’ McKenzie Siroky followed up a career-best 29.73 in the prelims of the 50 breaststroke with another top time in the Round of 16, as she covered her length of the pool in a Mare Nostrum record of 29.64. In her third race of the day, Siroky went 29.83 to secure the top seed for the semifinals. The time from the Round of 16 makes Siroky, out of the University of Tennessee, the sixth-fastest performer in the history of the event. Clearly, the American has positioned herself superbly in the quest for an Olympic berth in the event to the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
Russia’s Oleg Kostin led the way into the semifinals of the men’s 50 butterfly, as he just missed a sub-23 clocking with a mark of 23.01. That time landed Kostin Lane Four for the semis, with American Ilya Kharun qualifying second in 23.09, followed by Dutchman Nyls Korstanje (23.12). On the women’s side, Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk topped the quarterfinal round in 26.02, with France’s Melanie Henique next in 26.30. That showing from Vanotterdijk was followed by a victory in the 100 butterfly, as she clocked 57.36 to win the event by more than a second.
Serbia’s Andrej Barna and the United States’ Quintin McCarty stormed away from the field in the quarterfinals of the 50 freestyle, as Barna went 21.48 to the 21.62 of McCarty. In the women’s 50 freestyle, Dutchwoman Marrit Steenbergen (24.48) claimed the top seed for the semifinals, ahead of countrywoman Milou Van Wijk (24.68).
Russia’s Pavel Samusenko (24.63) and Canadian Ingrid Wilm (27.90) earned the No. 1 seeds for the semifinals of the 50 backstroke, with Wilm finishing just ahead of American Leah Shackley (27.98), who earlier won the 200 backstroke in 2:10.59. Samusenko also won the 100 backstroke, going 53.47.
In the men’s 50 breaststroke, Russia’s Ivan Koshakin (26.86) and Kirill Prigoda (27.03) led the way into the semifinals.
