Mare Nostrum, Canet: Anastasia Zueva, Camille Lacourt Double; Rebecca Soni, Kosuke Kitajima Smoke Breaststrokes

CANET, France, June 13. THE 2010 Mare Nostrum circuit came to a close with a pair of doubles and some more swift breaststroke swimming at the long course meter meet.

Russia's Anastasia Zueva cruised to victory in the women's 50 back with a time of 28.07. That effort improved upon her fifth-ranked season-best of 28.16 set during the Monaco stop. China's Gao Chang took second in 28.66, well back of her second-ranked time of 27.72 from April. Australia's Sophie Edington wound up third in 28.74.

Zueva doubled up with a 1:00.40 in the women's 100 back. Great Britain's Elizabeth Simmonds finished second in 1:00.70, while Russia's Mariya Gromova completed the top three in 1:01.48.

France's Camille Lacourt pulled off a bit of a surprise upset over Great Britain's Liam Tancock in the men's 50 back. Lacourt touched in 25.15, well ahead of Tancock's second-place 25.62. Australia's Daniel Arnamnart grabbed third in 25.72 just beating Israel's Jonatan Josef Kopelev (25.73) for a podium spot.

Lacourt followed with a second triumph, this time with a meet-record 54.00 in the men's 100 back. France's Jeremy Stravius placed second in 55.47, while New Zealand's Gareth Kean grabbed third overall in 56.01.

USA's Rebecca Soni checked in with another 2:21 effort on the Mare Nostrum tour in the women's 200 breast. In Barcelona, she turned in the top-ranked time of 2:21.41 before setting a meet record with a 2:21.99 today. Russia's Yuliya Efimova finished second in 2:24.55, while Annamay Pierse went 2:27.72 for third. Efimova jumped into fifth in the world, up from her seventh-ranked 2:24.65 from Barcelona.

Japan's Kosuke Kitajima lowered his season best in the men's 200 breast with a 2:10.73. That time pushed Kitajima up to fifth from his previously seventh-ranked effort of 2:10.97. Russia's Grigory Falko placed second in 2:12.98, while France's Kristopher Gilchrist earned third in 2:14.96.

Sweden's Therese Alshammar dominated the sprint 50 fly with a time of 25.70. That effort nearly eclipsed her top-ranked swim of 25.49 from the Barcelona stop. France's Melanie Henique placed second in 26.61, while Norway's Ingvild Snildal snatched third in 26.69.

Germany's Steffen Deibler nearly tracked down his 12th-ranked season-best of 23.86 with a winning time of 23.89 in the men's 50 fly. Australia's Geoff Huegill took second in 23.95, while South Africa's Roland Schoeman snared third in 23.97.

France's Camille Muffat moved up two spots in the world rankings with a triumphant 4:07.16 in the women's 400 free. That swim jumped Muffat to ninth in the world ahead of Blair Evans (4:07.39) and Chloe Sutton (4:07.41). Evans took second in 4:07.66, while France's Coralie Balmy earned third in 4:10.00.

Australia's Samantha Hamill claimed the women's 200 fly in 2:08.22, while Spain's Mireia Belmonte took second in 2:09.19. Canada's Audrey Lacroix snatched third in 2:10.57. Poland's Pawel Korzeniowski touched out Hungary's Laszlo Cseh, 1:56.56 to 1:56.88, in the men's 200 fly. Russia's Nikolay Skvortsov rounded out the top three in 1:58.03.

Great Britain's Fran Halsall won the women's 100 free in 54.94, while Sweden's Josefin Lillhage earned second in 55.14, while China's Tang Yi claimed third in 55.15. USA's Kara Lynn Joyce wound up fourth in 55.15 after leading prelims with a 55.03. France's Alain Bernard checked in with a 49.01 to win the men's 100 free. Canada's Brent Hayden finished second in 49.06, while Russia's Evgeny Lagunov claimed third in 49.45.

France's Sebastian Rouault closed down the Mare Nostrum circuit for the year with a 15:16.34 to win the men's 1500 free. Tunisia's Ous Mellouli placed second in 15:20.37, while Pal Joensen of the Faroe Islands picked up third in 15:23.36.

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