Marrit Steenbergen, whose outstanding form in the women’s 100m freestyle encouraged her to take a shot at the world record in Barcelona tonight, narrowly missed as she won in 51.97 – 0.26 off the 2017 mark set by Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom.

Steenbergen’s performance in the third leg of this year’s Mare Nostrum series came just three days after she clocked 51.86 in the second leg at Canet in France.

The 26-year-old Dutch double world champion has thus become the first woman to register two sub-52 times.

Two others apart from Steenbergen and Sjostrum have bettered 52.00 – Anna Moesch, who set an American record of 51.94 at last weekend’s AP Race London International, and Emma McKeon of Australia, who has clocked 51.96.

Steenbergen has put together a staggering sequence in this year’s Mare Nostrum, having lowered her national record to 52.13 on May 23 during leg one in Monaco.

Her Barcelona time also broke the meeting record of 52.28 set by Sjostrom in 2017.

Hong Kong’s multiple world and Olympic medallist Siobhan Haughey was second in 52.53, with Steenbergen’s compatriot Milou van Wijk, double gold medallist at last summer’s EA U23 Championships, third in 53.85.

There was victory for another Dutch athlete on the night as Caspar Corbeau, Olympic bronze medallist and short course world record holder in the 200m breastroke, came home first in 2:08.50.    

Belgium’s 21-year-old Roos Vanotterjidk won the women’s 50m butterfly in 25.88 from Taylor Ruck of Canada on 25.98.

Sweden’s Victor Johannson swam the fastest time in the men’s 800m freestyle, clocking 7:49.43 ahead of Romania’s Andrei Proca on 7:54.84.

Italy’s Carlos D’Ambrosio clocked 1:48.02 in finishing second behind the 1:46.22 set by Patrick Sammon of the United States in the men’s 200m freestyle.

In the women’s 800m freestyle, Italy’s Simona Quadarella was third in 4:06.27 behind New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather on 4:01.57, a Mare Nostrum record, and Agostina Hein of Argentina, who recorded 4:06.27.

Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics