Inaugural European Games; Baku, Azerbaijan
- Tuesdays June 23– Saturday June 27, 2015
- Baku Aquatic Centre, Baku, Azerbaijan
- Prelims: 12:30 am EST; Finals: 8:30 am EST
- Start lists, timeline and results can be found here.
The swimming events were not included in the original announcement of the games and its structure. Ultimately LEN would agreed to participate in the event July of 2013, but because of where the games were situated in the competition calendar they decided the swimming events would only include junior athletes.
Because of this fact Baku will replace the European Junior Swimming Championships, an event which will be held in Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary next year.
The games, which began on June 12th and will conclude on June 28th, will involve 6000 athletes from 50 countries in 20 different sports.
Event program:
Event 50, 100 and 200 meter events will all be swum as prelim, semi-final and final. The semi-final and final of the 50 events will be swum on the same evening.
Tuesday
- Women’s 50 breaststroke
- Men’s 50 butterfly
- Women’s 100 freestyle
- Men’s 400 freestyle
- Women’s 200 butterfly
- Men’s 100 backstroke
- Women’s 400 IM
- Men’s 200 breaststroke
- Women’s 200 backstroke
- Men’s 4 x 100 freestyle
- Women’s 4 x 100 freestyle
- Women’s 800 freestyle
Wednesday
- Men’s 100 freestyle
- Women’s 400 freestyle
- Men’s 200 butterfly
- Women’s 200 breaststroke
- Men’s 200 IM
- Mixed 4 x 100 freestyle
- Men’s 1500 freestyle
Thursday
- Women’s 50 backstroke
- Men’s 50 breaststroke
- Women’s 200 freestyle
- Men’s 200 backstroke
- Women’s 100 butterfly
- Men’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay
- Women’s 4 x 100 medley relay
- Women’s 1500 freestyle
Friday
- Women’s 50 freestyle
- Men’s 50 backstroke
- Women’s 100 backstroke
- Men’s 200 freestyle
- Women’s 200 IM
- Men’s 100 butterfly
- Women’s 100 breaststroke
- Men’s 100 breaststroke
- Mixed 4 x 100 medley relay
- Men’s 800 freestyle
Saturday
- Men’s 50 freestyle
- Women’s 50 butterfly
- Men’s 400 IM
- Women’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay
- Men’s 4 x 100 medley relay
Some Storylines to Watch
The women’s freestyle events should be extremely exciting. Russian Arina Openysheva who won eight gold at the European Youth Olympic Games in 2013 and seven gold at the European Junior Championships in 2014 will be competing in the 100-1500 freestyle events and relays.
The 16 year old Russian will be challenged in the 100 and 200 freestyle by 15 Dutch athlete Marrit Steenbergen. Steenbergen, who recently had a fantastic showing at the Dutch Junior and Youth Championships, will be competing in the 50-200 freestyle events and relays.
Steenbergen comes into the competition with a season’s and lifetime bests of 25.34 in the 50, 54.07 in the 100 and 1:59.29 in the 200. Openysheva enters the competition with a lifetime best of 54.78 in the 100 and a 1:58.78 in the 200.
The 50 freestyle should also see a great battle for gold as Russian Maria Kameneva comes into the event with the top time of 25.01.
The men’s breaststroke events will see Russian Anton Chupkov going for the sweep. Chupkov won the gold in the 100 breaststroke and bronze in both the 50 and 200 at the Youth Olympic Games last summer. He comes into Baku with the top ranked time in the 100 (1:00.84) and the 200 (2:10.80).
Chupkov’s 200 time currently ranks 20th in the world.
His biggest competition in the 50 breaststroke will be Croatian Nikola Obrovac, who took the event at the Youth Olympics. Obrovac comes in with a lifetime best of 27.83 while Chupkov’s best is a 28.43.
Russian swimmer 16 year old Daniil Pakhomov will be competing in the 50, 100 and 200 butterfly. Pakhomov has put up some impressive times in 2015. He currently ranks 22nd in the world in the 200 butterfly with a 1:56.97. He has also posted a 24.40 in the 50 and a 52.61 in the 100.
