Fast Times and Fun: Monaco’s 41st International Swimming Meeting Makes Waves
Mare Nostrum is a series of swimming competitions with three meets around the Mediterranean culminating in the most famous one in Monaco at the Louis II stadium.
The very best of the world swimmers just faced off in Monaco to celebrate this 41st edition with spectacular results.
And so the Prince Albert II Nautical Center in Monte-Carlo was the epicenter of thrilling swimming action as the 41st International Swimming Meeting concluded. The final stage of the Mare Nostrum circuit, held over last weekend, was nothing short of spectacular, with four records shattered.
In the Louis-II stadium pool, the elite swimmers delivered performances that broke records left and right. Saturday saw a stunning start when Sunwoo Hwang from Korea set new Mare Nostrum and Monte-Carlo meet records in the men’s 100m freestyle. Hwang clocked in at 47.91 seconds, making him the only swimmer to finish under 48 seconds, leaving his competitors far behind.
The women’s 200m freestyle was next, and Siobhan-Bernadette Haughey from Hong Kong didn’t disappoint. She set both Mare Nostrum and meet records with a time of 1:54.53, coming just shy of the world record set by Australian Mollie O’Callaghan in July 2023.
Hungary’s Kristof Milak Dominates with Triple Record Feats
The highlight of the meet was undoubtedly the men’s 200m butterfly A final, featuring European and world record holder Kristof Milak. The Hungarian sensation broke the Monte-Carlo meet record with a time of 1:53.94, narrowly missing his own Mare Nostrum record by a mere five hundredths of a second.
Milak’s excellence didn’t stop there. On Sunday, he showcased his dominance in the 100m butterfly, setting double records. As the European champion and Tokyo Olympics silver medalist (49.68), Milak triumphed with a time of 50.75. He bested Swiss swimmer Noè Ponti, the Tokyo bronze medalist.
The 41st International Swimming Meeting of Monte-Carlo will be remembered for its record-breaking performances and the exceptional talent.
The name Mare Nostrum is one of the special names given to the “Mediterranean” “our sea” and is where Princess of Monaco, “our Princess” as Charlene Wittstock won a gold medal in 2000 under the watchful eye of Prince Albert. See more swimming achievements of Princess Charlene below.
Princess Charlene: Swimming Achievements
In addition to a gold medal at the Mare Nostrum Princess Charlene as Charlene Wittstock won three gold medals and a silver medal at the 1999 All-Africa Games in Johannesburg. She represented South Africa at the 1998 and 2002 Commonwealth Games, winning a silver medal in the 4 × 100 m medley relay in the latter competition. She also was a member of the South African women’s 4×100 m medley team at the 2000 Summer Olympics, which finished fifth.
