Mare Nostrum 2025: prestigious international swimming circuit returns to Monaco
A mid-season test, the Mare Nostrum enables swimmers to adjust their race strategies and assess their physical fitness in similar conditions to those of major international competitions © Communication department / Frédéric Nebinger
The Meeting International de Natation de Monte-Carlo will be held as part of the 42nd edition of the Mare Nostrum Swim Tour, on 17 and 18 May. The major competition will draw the world’s swimming elite to the idyllic setting of the Principality.
For the first leg of the Mare Nostrum 2025, some 300 swimmers from 46 nations will be competing in the Principality’s crystal-clear waters. They include over 55 Olympic, world and European medallists, guaranteeing a show of the highest calibre.
The entire 2024 women’s podium will be competing, with Siobhan Haughey, last year’s winner, accompanied by Anastasya Gorbenko and Ingrid Wilm, second and third respectively.
A history of records and achievements
Created in 1994, the Mare Nostrum Swimming Tour is one of the most prestigious international swimming competitions on the circuit. Organised each year in three emblematic Mediterranean towns – Canet-en-Roussillon, Barcelona (Spain) and Monaco – it brings together the discipline’s world elite just a few weeks before the major international championships.
The Monaco Meeting’s reputation is therefore well established. The event has seen some of the biggest names in world swimming, such as Alexander Popov, who set the world record in the 100m freestyle on 8 June 1994, and Inge De Bruijn and Sandra Völker, stars in their day in butterfly and backstroke.
Over the years, Monaco has been the theatre for some exceptional performances, with 3 world records, 6 European records and 14 Mare Nostrum records still standing.
The Speed Tournament, a Monegasque speciality
One of the highlights of the Monegasque meeting is the Speed Tournament. The unique 50m event has a knock-out format. To reach the final, the swimmers will have to go through heats (16 qualifiers), the round of 16 (8 qualifiers), quarter-finals (4 qualifiers) and semi-finals, before going head-to-head.
An ambitious French delegation up against the world’s elite
France will be well represented, with several of its best talents. Maxime Grousset, Mélanie Hénique, Béryl Gastaldello, Clément Secchi, Analia Pigrée and Pauline Mahieu will be flying the French flag against some stiff competition.
Italy will field an impressive delegation of 13 swimmers, including 11 medallists. Among them is 18-year-old prodigy Sara Curtis, who recently broke the legendary Federica Pellegrini’s junior national records in the 50 and 100 metres freestyle.
Hungary should also feature strongly, with 12 swimmers taking part, including 11 medallists, led by Nemeth Nandor. Other major nations such as Australia, New Zealand and Poland complete an exceptionally strong line-up for the first meeting of the Mare Nostrum 2025 circuit.
Practical details:
You will be able to buy your tickets directly on site from Friday afternoon. Admission is free in the morning. Monaco prices for the afternoons are:
- 8 euros for one day
- 10 euros for both days
- Free admission for children under 12.
- Free for licenced swimmers.