The three-meet Mare Nostrum swimming tour has become a major predictor of the names to watch as we get closer to the summer championships. Several athletes who will travel through southern Europe starting with Friday’s meet in Canet, France, are looking to size themselves up against their chief rivals and take some crucial lessons back home. With the world championships in Russia just seven weeks away, the three Mare Nostrum meets will be our best opportunity to gauge who is setting themselves up to be the stars of Kazan.
View psych sheet for Canet stop of Mare Nostrum series
View psych sheet for Monaco stop of Mare Nostrum series
Mare Nostrum series schedule:
June 6-7: Canet
June 10-11: Barcelona
June 13-14: Monaco
Though every event will be stacked with some of the best talent from nearly 40 countries, here are our picks for the top five to watch throughout the next week on the Mare Nostrum swimming circuit.
1. Therese Alshammar
The 37-year-old new mother is working her way back to the top of the international sprint rankings. It’s been a year since she came back to the sport, having given birth to her first child in June 2013, and this weekend’s meet in Canet could be a major step forward for her as she prepares for a seventh world championships appearance. The road will be tough for her to get back on top of the world championship medal podium, where she was in 2011 after winning gold in the 50 free, but just seeing her make a championship final in Kazan would be a major feat. Most of the major competition she’ll see at worlds is in Canet, so she’ll know exactly where she stands.
Photo Courtesy: Gian Mattia Dalberto/Lapresse
2. Chad Le Clos
Le Clos hasn’t shown us much in the pool this year, doing just what was necessary to qualify for the world championships and set himself up to defend his 100 and 200 butterfly titles. Le Clos is set to race in all three Mare Nostrum meets, and it’s expected that he’ll be the man to beat in the butterfly events. Look for him to jump higher in the butterfly world rankings as the series progresses. Le Clos is branching out into freestyle now, helping South Africa on relay duty, but keep an eye on Le Clos in the 200 free. Anyone who can beat Michael Phelps in the 200 fly will be a tough competitor in the 200 free. He’ll go up against the likes of Ryan Lochte (see below) and Paul Biedermann, and there aren’t many swimmers in the world that would be better racing rivals in the 200 free.
Photo Courtesy: FINA Doha 2014
3. Ryan Lochte
Lochte thrives on heavy competition, and the Mare Nostrum meet is the perfect place for one of the world’s best racers to hone his skills. He’ll vary his racing program at all three meets, but the event to watch most is the 200 IM. He’ll race Japan’s Kosuke Hagino and Daiya Seto three times, and it could be a prelude to the chase for gold at worlds. The two rank first, second and third in the world right now, and it’s very likely that a “1:55” could be on the scoreboard for one or all three of them in the 200 IM before the Mare Nostrum series concludes. Lochte is still looking for redemption in the 200 freestyle three years removed from placing fourth at the Olympics, so that’s another main event to watch for Lochte.
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
4. Ruta Meilutyte
The reigning Olympic and world champion in the 100 breast hasn’t traveled outside Great Britain yet in 2015, so this is our first chance to see her up against those looking to unseat her as the queen of sprint breaststroke. Mielutyte likes to approach these meets with a good deal of rest, so look forward to some spectacular times from her in Canet. She’s not registered for the Monaco stop, which is a shame, because 100 breast world leader Kanako Watanabe of Japan will be there. To see the top two women in the 100 breast go head to head would be thrilling, even at this point in the season. Rikke Moller Pedersen will be a worthy competitor to Meilutyte this weekend, angling to be the best in sprint and endurance breaststroke this year – and possibly next year at the Olympics.
Photo Courtesy: Gian Mattia Dalberto/Lapresse
5. Adam Peaty
Peaty is the only swimmer to have set a world record in 2015, and the Canet stop of the Mare Nostrum tour marks his first meet since his 57.92 in the 100 breast at British nationals. Last year, Peaty had a great run in the Mare Nosrum tour, getting faster through the series and setting himself up for winning the 2014 Commonwealth title in the 100 breast and setting the 50 breast world record. Peaty will be in all three breaststroke events in Canet and Barcelona, with former world record holder Cameron Van Der Burgh his main foe in the 50 and 100. Peaty is improving in the 200 but will go in as the underdog behind the likes of Germany’s Marco Koch.
Photo Courtesy: Gian Mattia Dalberto/Lapresse
Images on TV are fabulous but along with the time shown on screen, can’t we have the race going on?