Elite swimming returned to the Olympic Capitol City for the Lausanne Swim Cup over an extended three-day weekend of racing. With France’s Florent Manaudou as the event ambassador, the Olympic champion from London 2012 was joined by a host of standout swimmers, including Sweden’s Louise Hansson, South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker and Matt Sates, Italy’s Thomas Ceccon, and Switzerland’s own Noe Ponti, among others.
Better than a three-peat | Hansson and Sates win four in Lausanne
Representing Loughborough University, Louise Hansson won four gold medals after doubling up in the 100m butterfly and in the 50m backstroke on the final day of competition. The night wrapped up a successful three-day meet for the two-time Swedish Olympian as she won both the 50m and 100m distances of the backstroke and butterfly events.
I have been having fun racing at this meet, it’s usually one of my objectives to always enjoy what I am doing. I hope to be back again next year.
South Africa’s Matthew Sates showed his versatility by winning the 400m freestyle & 400m individual medley, as well as the 200m freestyle and the 200m individual medley. The Swimming World Cup 2021 overall men’s winner also placed second in the 100m butterfly, getting untouched by Switzerland’s Noe Ponti, the reigning Olympic bronze medallist in the event.
Switzerland’s Own Noe Ponti Claims Gold & Silver
Noe Ponti set his country’s national record in the 100m butterfly at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. In addition to out-touching Sates for the 100m butterfly win, Ponti put up a tough fight with Italy’s Thomas Ceccon
While being congratulated for his narrow victory, Ponti’s thoughts were on his 50m performance – and his grandma.
It was a nice result today. To be honest, my 50m butterfly event may have been a better performance despite being second to Thomas Ceccon, but I am happy to have won today, it’s been a tough week for my family. My granny passed away earlier this week and I have dedicated my performances to her. I am looking forward to the Swiss National Championships later this year and I’ll be ready.
More Swiss Medal Winners
In one of the most anticipated races of the meet, Switzerland’s Roman Mityukov beat Olympic bronze medallist Great Britain's Luke Greenbank to win the 200m backstroke in 29.36.
Fanny Borer also added to the Swiss event win haul by taking the 200m backstroke event. Borer also placed second in the 200m butterfly behind another Swiss winner Annina Grabher. She completed her three-medal set by finishing third in the 100m backstroke event.
Aruba’s Upset Special
Aruba’s Mikel Schreuders pulled an upset by winning the men’s 100m freestyle event at the 5th edition of the Lausanne Swim Cup. The 24-year-old Schreuders’ 49.53 performance was just enough to edge out Italy’s Thomas Ceccon by a scant 5/100ths of a second margin.
Schreuders, who is now training with CN Marseille, competed in the 200m freestyle event at the Rio 2016 Olympics and then finished 31st and 33rd, respectively, in the 100m and 200m freestyle events at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Roman Mityukov of Switzerland finished the two-lap sprint in third. Arriving in fifth place, just .38 second behind Schrueders was Olympic champion Florent Manaudou. The Frenchman recently returned from a two-week training camp in Coral Springs, Florida, to be the Event Ambassador for the Lausanne Swim Cup.
Speaking the Swiss local language of French, Schreuders told the on-deck interviewer that he “was focused on my own race strategy and I was surprised when the guys didn’t take the first 50 out as fast as I had expected. I wasn’t going to push the pace. Instead, I just conserved my energy and I was ready for a strong finish. I just gave it my all and got my hand on the wall first. It always feels great to win a high-level meet and it gives me confidence that my training is working. It makes my goals seem more of a reality than a dream.”
Ceccon’s Versatility on Display – Again
Italy’s Thomas Ceccon, who set the 100m backstroke World Record of 51.60 at the World Aquatics Championships - Budapest 2022, won that event in Lausanne as well as the 50m backstroke sprint. His third victory came in the 50m butterfly where he swam the fastest time in the world this year, stopping the clock in 23.13. The versatile swimmer placed second in the 100m freestyle and third in the 50m sprint freestyle event.
Russian swimmer Anna Egorova, who trains outside the country, also claimed a trifecta of victories, winning the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle events.
Peaty’s 100m and 200m Breaststroke Performances Highlight the Double Doubles
Britain's 2020 and 2016 Olympic champion Adam Peaty won the 50m and 100m breaststroke events. He was challenged by his teammate James Wilby who finished second to Peaty in the same two events and just behind the USA’s Will Licon who won the 200m breaststroke.
Martina Carraro of Italy won the 50m and 100m breaststroke double, beating Tatjana Schoenmaker twice but finished third behind the South African Olympic champion in the 200m breaststroke.
Marie Wattel of France was the winner of the 50m free and also the 200m free. She also finished second in the 100m free behind the British champion Anna Hopkin who was herself the silver medallist behind Wattel in the 50m freestyle dash. Wattel settled for silver in the 100m fly behind Sweden’s Hansson.
Honourable Mentions
Kregor Zirk of Estonia won the 200m fly and finished second in both the 200m and 400m freestyle events behind South Africa’s Matthew Sates.
Abbie Wood of Great Britain won a medal in each colour, striking gold in the 200m individual medley, earning silver in the 400m freestyle and bronze in the 200m breaststroke.
South Africa’s reigning Olympic champion and world record holder in the 200m breaststroke Tatjana Schoenmaker finished second in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events, and in the 200 individual medley.
USA’s Will Licon untouched James Wilby in the 200m breaststroke to collect his sole gold medal after finishing second in the 200m individual medley behind Matthew Sates and well as picking up two third-place finishes in the 100m breaststroke and the 400m individual medley.
Lausanne Swim Cup | New Pool, New Format, Same Impressive Competing Athlete Roster
With the impressive Vaudoise Arena sports complex opening its aquatics complex with three new Myrtha swimming pools, the Lausanne Swim Cup turned to a long course meet for the first time in the event’s five-edition history.
The Vaudoise Arena was built for the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games and features three ice rinks for hockey and speed skating, a fencing and table tennis centre.
Of the 296 competing athletes competing, 40 were internationally ranked representing 34 countries. At least fourteen of the swimmers have won an event at either the Olympic Games or the World Aquatics Championships.