Milak, Popovici Shine On Mare Nostrum Tour

swin @) swan Milak's Back: Kristof Milak showed impressive form on the Mare Nostrum Tour, signaling that he's rounding back into top form just in time for the Paris Olympics. Also: All of the highlights from Mare Nostrum, Bulgarian Antani Ivanov receives a controversial suspension, Hollie Bonewit-Cron named head coach at Penn State, and Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh light up the pool at the NCAP Elite Qualifier. MILAK, POPOVICI CLIMB WORLD RANKINGS AT MARE NOSTRUM The annual Mare Nostrum Tour always gives us a glimpse into which swimmers are trending in the right direction leading into the major international meets of the summer, and some big names showed up at the three-leg series that came to a close on Sunday in Monaco. Leading the charge was Hungarian superstar Kristof Milak, whose form has been in question over the last 12 months, dating back to his withdrawal from the 2023 World Championships. At the Barcelona leg of the series (the second stop after Canet), Milak clocked a season-best of 50.95 in the 100 fly and went 1:55.67 in the 200 fly, the latter marking his first loss in the event since 2020. The 24-year-old found another gear at the series finale in Monaco, blasting his way to a time of 50.75 in the 100 fly and 1:53.94 in the 200 fly, both new season-bests and a new Mare Nostrum Record in the 100 fly (he missed his 200 fly record from 2022 by .05). He ranks 2nd in the world in the 200 fly and 4th in the 100 fly for the 2023-24 season. The other headlining-grabbing swim on the men's side came in Barcelona, where Romania's David Popovici blitzed his way to a time of 1:44.74 in the 200 free, marking a new season-best and moving him to #4 in the world as he outdueled South Korean rival and 2024 world champion Hwang Sunwoo (1:45.68). Popovici also lowered the Mare Nostrum Record set by world record holder Paul Biedermann (1:44.88) from 2009. On the women's side, Siobhan Haughey was on fire, lowering the series record in the 200 free twice, first going 1:54.57 in Barcelona before getting down to 1:54.53 in Monaco. The Hong Kong native ranks 3rd in the world this season from her 1:54.08 swim on the World Cup tour last October. Swedish speedster Sarah Sjostrom showed up at the Monaco leg and dominated the women's 50 free and 50 fly, winning the five-round skins events in respective times of 23.84 and 24.95. In the 50 free, Sjostrom's swim tied for the 17th fastest of all-time and gave her 15 of the top 25 performances ever. See full Mare Nostrum coverage here. BULGARIAN ANTANI IVANOV SUSPENDED FOR SPEAKING OUT AGAINST FEDERATION Bulgarian Olympian Antani Ivanov, who was already serving a suspension for missed doping tests, has been handed an additional two-year ban. Ivanov was suspended by the Bulgarian Swimming Federation (BSF) for disrespecting the organization, and on May 23, World Aquatics upheld the ban. Ivanov is now ineligible to compete through March of 2026. The 24-year-old butterfly specialist believes the punishment is a result of him speaking out against alleged doping in Bulgarian swimming. In 2021, three young Bulgarian swimmers claimed their federation required them to take pills at a national team training camp, leading to the trio testing positive for stanozolol. At the time, Ivanov told Bulgarian media that he would not train with the national team until the entire coaching staff stepped down. Georgi Avramchev still serves as the president of the BSF today. Ivanov also claimed that Bulgarian Petar Mitsin was using banned substances when he broke the World Junior Record in the boys' 400 freestyle last year, an accusation the BSF took issue with and challenged Ivanov's lack of evidence. In February, Ivanov was reportedly detained for possessing less than a gram of marijuana. Last year, he told SwimSwam that Bulgaria is “full of corruption” and that he even received threats from BSF officials. “If I stop fighting for my rights, our federation will be drugging people and having success like they did at European Juniors, but I am fighting for my voice and my rights because Bulgaria is full of corruption and if you don’t listen and do what they tell you, they do what they did to me,” Ivanov said. Read more here. HOLLIE BONEWIT-CRON TAKES OVER AS HEAD COACH AT PENN STATE Penn State has tabbed Hollie Bonewit-Cron as the new head coach of the school's swimming & diving program, joining the Nittany Lions after a long run at Miami University in Ohio. Bonewit-Cron takes over the head coaching position from Tim Murphy, who was fired in early April after being placed on unspecific leave midway through the season. During Murphy's leave of absence in 2023-24, Erin Matyus (women) and Dan Carrington (men) served as interim head coaches. Bonewit-Cron served as head coach at Miami for eight seasons, winning Mid-American Conference (MAC) Men's Swimming Coach of the Year honors five times as the Redhawks won five conference titles in six years from 2019 through 2024. The women’s team has also found success at Miami under Bonewit-Cron, coming off a runner-up finish at the MAC Championships in 2024 after three consecutive third-place showings. “I would like to first thank Dr. Kraft, Rhian Davis, Vinnie James, and the rest of the search committee at Penn State University,” said Bonewit-Cron. “Their vision is very exciting and I am thrilled to lead the swimming and diving programs in their academic and athletic pursuits. This program has a history of success and I am looking forward to being part of the Nittany Lion family!” Read more here. DOUGLASS, CURZAN & WALSH SISTERS POST IMPRESSIVE SWIMS AT NCAP ELITE QUALIFIER The Virginia training group was dominant at the NCAP Elite Qualifier over the weekend, with Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh stealing the show with elite performances in the 200 breast and 200 IM. In the 200 breast, Douglass went sub-2:20 for the third time this year in 2:19.95, while Walsh clocked 2:22.87 for a new lifetime best and the #2 spot in the domestic rankings this season. Douglass' 2:19.30 American Record from January ranks #2 in the world in 2023-24, while Walsh's new PB moves her into 7th. The following day, the training mates dueled it out in the 200 IM, with Douglass edging out the win, 2:07.76 to 2:07.99. Douglass (2:07.05) and Walsh (2:07.63) have both been faster this season, ranking 2nd and 4th in the world, respectively. Other highlights from the competition included Douglass setting a new best time of 1:06.36 in the 100 breast, while Gretchen Walsh logged times of 24.86 in the 50 free, 53.80 in the 100 free and 56.65 in the 100 fly and Claire Curzan put up times of 59.42 in the 100 back, 2:09.50 in the 200 back and 57.74 in the 100 fly. QUICK HITS * The last remaining Arizona State swimmer whose destination was unknown after Bob Bowman's move to Texas, reigning NCAA champion Zalan Sarkany will transfer to NC State for the 2024-25 season. * Former Auburn head coach Gary Taylor has been added to the staff at Virginia as an associate head coach after a three-year stint with Cavalier Aquatics. * Katie Ledecky has said her faith in the anti-doping system is currently at "an all-time low" in the wake of the Chinese doping scandal that came to light last month. * New Texas men's associate head coach Erik Posegay is set to become one of the highest-paid assistants in college swimming. * With his four-year ban coming to an end in June, disgraced three-time Olympic champion Sun Yang is planning a return to competition—though the rules in China may leave him out of any international meets moving forward. * Australian teenager Olivia Wunsch showed she's rounding into form ahead of the upcoming Aussie Olympic Trials, clocking a best time of 53.58 in the 100 free at a high school meet. * The Australian Olympic Trials will run from June 10-15—follow all of our coverage here. * After swimming a time of 25.71 one week earlier, 13-year-old Gabi Brito clocked 25.42 in the 50 free at the California Summer Sizzler, earning her an Olympic Trials cut and ranking her #4 all-time in the girls' 13-14 age group. * As anticipation builds for the U.S. Olympic Trials later this month, Indianapolis has renamed its downtown streets after legendary American swimmers. * Follow along with all of our U.S. Olympic Trials coverage, including event-by-event previews, here. * For everything you need to track the swimming competition and find things to do outside of the sessions in Indianapolis, check out our definitive guide to the U.S. Trials here. * SwimSwam's annual college recruiting rankings have kicked off—see the re-rank of the girls' high school class of 2024 here. KRISTOF MILAK SWIMS 1:53.94 200 BUTTERFLY MOVING UP TO #2 IN WORLD THIS SEASON By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam Milak was over a second and a half faster today than he was just days ago at the Barcelona stop as he swam a 1:55.67 then. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Kristof Milak Swims 1:53.94 200 Butterfly Moving Up To #2 In World This Season Read More → - POPOVICI PUNCHES 1:44.74 SEASON-BEST 200 FREE, OVERTAKES BIEDERMANN’S MARE NOSTRUM RECORD By Retta Race on SwimSwam 19-year-old David Popovici ripped a new season-best of 1:44.74 to overtake Paul Biedermann's Mare Nostrum Tour Record en route to topping the podium. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Popovici Punches 1:44.74 Season-Best 200 Free, Overtakes Biedermann’s Mare Nostrum Record Read More → - BULGARIAN SWIMMER ANTANI IVANOV DEALT ANOTHER 2-YEAR SUSPENSION FOR ‘DISRESPECTFUL ATTITUDE’ By Riley Overend on SwimSwam Antani Ivanov, who was already serving a two-year sanction through October for missed doping tests, is now ineligible to compete until March of 2026. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Bulgarian Swimmer Antani Ivanov Dealt Another 2-Year Suspension for ‘Disrespectful Attitude’ Read More → - HOLLIE BONEWIT-CRON NAMED HEAD SWIMMING & DIVING COACH AT PENN STATE By James Sutherland on SwimSwam Bonewit-Cron will join the Nittany Lions from Miami University (Ohio), where she's been the head coach for the past eight seasons. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Hollie Bonewit-Cron Named Head Swimming & Diving Coach At Penn State Read More → - 2024 NCAA CHAMPION ZALAN SARKANY VERBALLY COMMITS TO TRANSFER TO NC STATE By James Sutherland on SwimSwam The reigning NCAA champion in the 1650 freestyle will join the impressive distance culture developed at NC State, led by coach Mark Bernardino. Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2024 NCAA Champion Zalan Sarkany Verbally Commits To Transfer To NC State Read More → - KATE DOUGLASS (2:07.76) AND ALEX WALSH (2:07.99) BATTLE IT OUT IN 200 IM By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam The two lead the US women so far this season. Both were conservative on the butterfly legs, allowing them to save up for the freestyle legs. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Kate Douglass (2:07.76) And Alex Walsh (2:07.99) Battle It Out In 200 IM Read More → - FORMER AUBURN HEAD COACH GARY TAYLOR JOINS VIRGINIA STAFF AS ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH By Braden Keith on SwimSwam GARS TALOR RCEOGIATE: rlZA0) CONCr| Gary Taylor, a former coach at Auburn, NC State, and Florida State, will join the University of Virginia staff after three years coaching a local club team. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Former Auburn Head Coach Gary Taylor Joins Virginia Staff As Associate Head Coach Read More → - SUN YANG EYES RETURN TO COMPETITION AS DOPING BAN COMES TO AN END By James Sutherland on SwimSwam Sun's four-year doping ban has come to an end, meaning he's cleared to resume competition despite being ineligible for the Olympics in Paris. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Sun Yang Eyes Return To Competition As Doping Ban Comes To An End Read More → - Twitter Facebook Instagram Website