Mare Nostrum, Monte Carlo: Shiho Sakai Crushes Women’s 200 Back for Runner-Up Status

MONTE CARLO, Monaco, June 11. THE final stop of the Mare Nostrum circuit kicked off with long course meter action in Monte Carlo today.

Shiho Sakai shot to second in the world rankings with a meet-record time of 2:07.74 in the women's 200 back. Her previous best had been a fourth-ranked 2:07.98 from April. Belinda Hocking holds the top time in the world this year with a 2:06.88 from Australia in April. Kirsty Coventry took a distant second in 2:11.57, while Sophie Bachelor placed third in 2:15.22.

Femke Heemskerk twice downed the meet record in the women's 200 free. First, she clocked a 1:57.27 in prelims before throwing down a 1:56.55 to win the title. That effort improved upon her fourth-ranked season best of 1:56.61, but did not clear Camille Muffat's 1:55.95 for third. Muffat took second this evening in 1:56.61, while Hanae Ito posted a third-place 1:58.38 – improving on her 23rd-ranked 1:58.42 from April.

Ryosuke Irie clocked in with a meet-record time of 53.47 to win the men's 100 back. That performance came up just a bit short of his second-ranked 53.10 from April. Only Camille Lacourt has been faster this year. Junya Koga touched second in 54.13, while Lacourt placed third overall in 54.21. Koga's best is an eighth-ranked 53.91 from the Barcelona stop of the Mare Nostrum.

Takeshi Matsuda topped the men's 200 fly in a meet-record 1:55.68. He's been much faster this year with a top-ranked 1:54.12 from April. Bence Biczo touched second in 1:55.92 to better his sixth-ranked season best of 1:55.96. Biczo did not, however, move ahead of Pawel Korzeniowski's fifth-ranked 1:55.64. Laszlo Cseh placed third tonight in 1:56.11, while Ryusuke Sakata took fourth in 1:56.82.

Ryo Tateishi cruised to victory in the men's 200 breast with a 2:12.93, while Naoya Tomita took second in 2:14.44. Tomita is the top-ranked swimmer in the world in the event this year with a 2:08.25 from April, while Tateishi ranks seventh with a 2:10.44. Neil Versfeld placed third in 2:16.06.

Samantha Marshall touched out Caroline Ruhnau, 1:09.30 to 1:09.35, in the women's 100 breast. Satomi Suzuki earned third-place honors in 1:09.56. Marshall's season best is a 14th-ranked 1:07.85, while Suzuki ranks 12th with a 1:07.68.

Matt Targett clinched the men's 100 free title in 48.86, while William Meynard (49.41) and Fabien Gilot (49.70) rounded out the top three. Kyle Richardson also broke 50 seconds with a 49.97. Targett's best this year is a ninth-ranked 48.66.

Yuka Kato claimed the women's 100 fly in 58.56, while Inge Dekker took second in 59.23. Jessicah Schipper (59.39) and Eszter Dara (59.73) also cleared 1:00 in the finale. Kato's top time this year is a seventh-ranked 57.80, while Dekker has been a fifth-ranked 57.62.

Cseh completed the first evening of action with a winning time of 2:01.03 in the men's 200 IM. Bradley Ally took second in 2:01.51, while Jan David Schepers earned third in 2:02.16.

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