Since its creation in 1994, Mare Nostrum has grown into one of the most prestigious competitions on the international swimming calendar. Olympic champions, world record holders and rising stars regularly use the Mediterranean circuit as a key benchmark on the road to major championships, and Monaco once again delivered a spectacular opening chapter.
Yet for Monaco, Mare Nostrum has always represented something more than elite sport alone.
The competition remains woven into the modern story of the Princely Family itself. In 2000, a young South African swimmer named Charlene Wittstock won gold in the 200-metre backstroke at the Monaco Mare Nostrum meeting. It was there that she first met Prince Albert, who was presiding over the international competition. This is a connection that would ultimately become one of Monaco’s most remarkable modern royal stories. Today, the Fondation Princesse Charlène de Monaco continues to support aquatic sport and water safety initiatives, while the event remains closely associated with Monaco’s enduring passion for swimming.
Records Smashed
This year’s edition demonstrated why the meeting continues to attract many of the sport’s biggest names.
One of the standout performances came from Hungarian star Kristóf Milák, who produced one of the finest swims of the entire weekend in the men’s 100-metre butterfly. Milák stopped the clock in 50.66 seconds, equalling the Mare Nostrum Record and underlining once again why he remains one of the most feared butterfly specialists in world swimming. His victory came ahead of Switzerland’s Noè Ponti and France’s Maxime Grousset in a final packed with international quality.
Another major headline belonged to New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather. The 22-year-old delivered a remarkable performance in the women’s 400-metre freestyle, winning in 4:01.80 and setting a new Mare Nostrum Record. Her swim erased the previous Monaco benchmark and confirmed her growing status among the world’s elite distance freestylers.
Dutch star Marrit Steenbergen emerged as one of the dominant figures of the Monaco meeting. Already victorious in the women’s 50-metre freestyle, she followed that success with a brilliant win in the 100-metre freestyle. Her time of 52.13 seconds set the Monaco meeting record and Mare Nostrum record further strengthening her reputation as one of the fastest women currently competing on the international circuit.
American swimmer Leah Shackley was another athlete who left Monaco with considerable momentum. She completed a backstroke double by winning both the 50-metre and 100-metre backstroke events, demonstrating impressive consistency against a strong international field.
The breaststroke events also produced performances of the highest level. Russia’s Evgeniia Chikunova claimed victory in the women’s 200-metre breaststroke, while fellow Russian Ivan Kozhakin secured victories in both the 50-metre and 100-metre breaststroke races. American swimmer Mckenzie Siroky added her name to the record books with a Mare Nostrum Record performance in the women’s 50-metre breaststroke.
Elsewhere, Monaco spectators enjoyed victories from athletes representing New Zealand, Hungary, Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United States and France, illustrating the truly global nature of the competition.
The men’s 400-metre individual medley was won by Hungary’s Gábor Zombori, while American Gabriel Jett captured the 200-metre freestyle. Canadian swimmer Mary-Sophie Harvey triumphed in the women’s 200-metre individual medley after a composed and tactically strong performance.
Throughout the weekend, the atmosphere inside the Prince Albert II Nautical Centre reflected the unique character of the Mare Nostrum circuit. Unlike major global championships staged in vast arenas, Monaco’s meeting allows athletes and spectators to share an unusually close connection to the racing itself. Every turn, every finish and every fraction of a second feels immediate.
That intimacy has long been part of the event’s appeal.
More than a sporting competition, Mare Nostrum has become a tradition within Monaco’s sporting identity. It links generations of swimmers, from Olympic champions of the past to the stars of today, while also occupying a special place in the history of the Princely Family.
As the circuit now moves on to Canet-en-Roussillon and Barcelona, Monaco can look back on an opening leg that once again delivered exactly what Mare Nostrum is renowned for: world-class performances, international excellence and moments that remind spectators why swimming remains one of the purest and most captivating forms of sport.
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