Noè Ponti Posts 50.27 100 Fly Scorcher In Sursee; Roman Mityukov Goes Top Of The 200 Back Rankings
Noè Ponti posted a 50.27 scorcher for the second-fastest 100 fly of his career on day three of the Swiss Championships in Sursee.
Out in 23.48 and back in 26.79, the Tokyo bronze medallist was just 0.11 off his Swiss record of 50.16 set at the 2024 edition of the national championships. With that, the 23-year-old went top of the 2025 rankings ahead of the 50.67 he posted in Italy last month.
It was Ponti’s third title of the meet following the 50 fly, which he won in 22.81 following a 22.77 rankings-topper in prelims, and the 100 free (49.52). There’ll be no 200 fly on Sunday however with Ponti taking a break from the four-length event as he told Swimming World here.
Noè Ponti: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Ponti scorched his way around the international circuit in the latter months of 2024. He lowered the 50 fly s/c world record on four occasions, finishing with a 21.32 blast in Budapest that secured one of three golds at short-course worlds last December.
He went on to topple Caeleb Dressel’s global 100 fly standard in 47.71, going 0.07 inside the record of 47.78 set by the nine-time Olympic champion in November 2020 in the same Duna Arena pool. That followed his title in the 100IM where he set championship and Swiss records in 50.33.
All that despite having started military service in early November with Ponti based in Macolin in the canton of Bern for four weeks before returning to his base at the National Training Centre in Tenero. He’d also taken six weeks away from the pool following the Olympics where he was fourth – 0.10 off the podium – in the 100 fly and fifth over 200.
Classy Mityukov Goes Top Of The Rankings; Golden Day For Djakovic Siblings
Ponti’s fly scorcher followed Roman Mityukov’s journey to the top of the 200 back rankings. The Olympic bronze medallist posted 1:58.17 in prelims before returning to the Sursee pool where he led throughout to touch in 1:55.64, 0.79 off his Swiss record of 1:54.85 which secured him a place on the Paris 2024 podium. It’s the fifth-fastest time of his career with the two-time world medallist the first man inside 1:56 so far in 2025.
It was Mityukov’s second title of the meet and third medal overall following his 50 back gold and 100 free silver on day two.
Flavio Bucca was second in 1:59.95 with Dario Marcone third in 2:05.60.
Roman Mityukov: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala, Deepbluemedia
Gaia Rasmussen claimed her second title and fourth medal overall in the women’s 200 back. She led throughout and was never threatened despite Fanny Borer’s charge down the final 50 to win in 2:13.72 to 2:14.51 with Xenia Blumin third in 2:19.66. Rasmussen added gold to her 200 free title, 50 back silver and 100 free bronze.
Antonio Djakovic completed the distance double with a comprehensive victory in the 800. The four-time European medallist led throughout to stop the clock at 8:07.76 for his third individual title of the meet following victories over 1500 (15:35.76) and 200 free (1:49.12). Paul Niederberger upgraded 1500 bronze to 800 silver in 8:13.95 with Christian Schreiber third in 8:17.37.
It was a golden day for the Djakovic siblings as sister Vanna added the 400 title to her 800 gold. Third at the first turn, she moved into the lead on the second 50 and extended her lead throughout to touch in 4:19.66. Amelie Bertschi (4:23.89) and Lea Harrison (4:24.95) followed Djakovic home.
Brugger Clinches Fly Double
Angélique Brugger clinched the 50/100 fly double with victory over two lengths in 1:02.15. Brugger was well clear at 50 but there was a real tussle behind her with Manon Richard and Giulia Capuano eating into the lead with every stroke as they touched in 1:02.23 and 1:02.34 respectively.
Just 0.11 separated the first three home in the men’s 50m breaststroke. Mael Allegrini was the man to get his hand to the wall first in 28.33 followed by 100 winner Gian-Luca Gartmann (28.39) and Louis Droupy (28.44).
Gartmann followed that up with a start-to-finish victory in the 200IM in 2:00.78 ahead of Marius Toscan (2:03.57) and Maxwell Seidel (2:04.53).
Rahel Haller won the women’s 50 breast in 32.00 to make it a medal of each colour across the three breaststroke distances. Havana Cueto Cabrera was second in 32.14 with Séraphine Hoigné third in 32.71.
In the final event of the evening, Ponti, Djakovic and Gartmann were joined by Daniil Sokolovskiy as Schwimmclub Uster won the men’s 4×2 with Ponti posting a 1:48.26 anchor as the quartet won in 7:22.23.
