2025 European Junior Championships
- Tuesday, July 1 – Sunday, July
- X-bionic® sphere Pool, Šamorín, Slovakia
- LCM (50m)
- Start Times – Local: Prelims – 9:30 am / Finals – 6:00 pm
- Start Times – EST: Prelims – 3:30 am / Finals – 12:00 pm
- SwimSwam Preview
- Meet Central
- Entries (by event)
- Entries (by country)
- Live European Aquatics Results
- Livestream (Pay-To-Watch)
- Recaps:
The penultimate night of racing at the 2025 European Junior Championships brings us a host of semi-finals as swimmers try to set themselves up for more success on our final day tomorrow in Slovakia.
However, we do have a quartet of finals on tonight’s agenda, including the boys’ and girls’ 800m free event. Turkey’s Kuzey Tuncelli will try to double up on his 1500m free gold from earlier in the meet while Great Britain’s Amelie Blocksidge also has designs on that same plan.
The girls’ 200m fly and 100m free finals will be raced this evening, with the former’s top seed represented by GBR’s Edith Price and the latter’s top performer thus far, Maria Daza Garcia of Spain.
Follow along and refresh often to stay updated on the latest as the races unfold.
GIRLS 200 BUTTERFLY – FINAL
- World Junior Record: 2:04.70, Summer McIntosh (2023)
- European Junior Record: 2:06.71
- European Record: 2:04.27, Katinka Hosszu (2009)
- Championship Record: 2:08.41, Anastasia Markova (2021)
- 2024 European Junior Champion: Sarah Dumont (BEL), 2:09.64
GOLD – Sarah Dumont (BEL), 2:09.75
SILVER – Edith Price (GBR), 2:10.42
BRONZE – Serafima Fokina (AIN), 2:11.56
Belgium’s Sarah Dumont successfully defended her European Junior Championships title in the girls’ 200m fly to kick off tonight’s events.
The 18-year-old registered a time of 2:09.75 to handily defeat the field, splitting 29.37/33.11 (1:02.48)/33.62/33.65 in the process. Her effort here was just off the 2:09.64 which garnered her gold a year ago.
Holding the top seed entering tonight’s final, Great Britain’s 16-year-old Edith Price settled for silver in 2:10.42. That was slightly off the 2:10.13 notched in the semi-final. That quicker mark destroyed her previous career-swiftest mark, a time of 2:12.70 posted in March of this year.
Bronze tonight went to neutral athlete Serafima Fokina who notched 2:11.56 for 3rd place.
BOYS 100 FREESTYLE – SEMIFINAL
- World junior record: 46.86 – David Popovici (ROU) – 2022
- European junior record: 46.86 – David Popovici (ROU) – 2022
- Meet record: 47.30 – David Popovici (ROU) – 2021
- 2024 European junior champion: Tajus Juska (LTU), 48.74
Top 8:
- Tajus Juska (LTU), 49.06
- Mikhail Shcherbakov (AIN), 49.27
- Luca Hoek le Guenedal (ESP), 49.29
- Sander Sorensen (NOR), 49.45 & Gabriel Shepherd (GBR), 49.45
- Roman Zhidkov (AIN), 49.47
- Justin Cvetkov (SRB), 49.54
- Gabriele Valente (ITA), 49.65
Carrying his momentum from last night when he nabbed gold in both the boys’ 100m fly and 50m free events, 16-year-old Tajus Juska led these men’s 100m free semi-finals with a time of 49.06.
That holds a narrow lead over neutral athlete Mikhail Shcherbakov who clocked 49.27 followed by Spain’s Luca Hoek le Guenedal‘s time of 49.29.
As a refresher, 17-year-old Guenedal already hit a new Spanish antiaol record of 48.14 as relay lead-off and also registered a 21.99 national record in the semi-finals of the boys’ 50m free, an event in which he ultimately placed 3rd.
As for Juska, the teen owns a lifetime best of 48.74 from last year so we’re seeing him just scratch the tip of the iceberg of what’s potentiallty possible come tomorrow night’s final.
Not to be ignored is 4th-seeded Sander Sorensen of Norway. The 18-year-old already collected bronze in the 200m free here and recently turned in a new Norwegian national record of 48.86 in this 100m free event.
GIRLS 100 FREESTYLE – FINAL
- World Junior Record: 52.70, Penelope Oleksiak (2016)
- European Junior Record: 53.61, Freya Anderson (2018)
- European Record: 51.71, Sarah Sjostrom (2017)
- Championship Record: 53.97, Marrit Steenbergen (2015)
- 2024 European Junior Champion: Sara Curtis (ITA), 54.22
GOLD – Albane Cachot (FRA), 54.17
SILVER – Maria Daza Garcia (ESP), 54.39
BRONZE – Grace Davison (IRL), 54.80
Despite leading the girls’ 100m free pack out of both the prelims and semi-finals, Spanish swimmer Maria Daza Garcia fell short of gold once the medals were on the line.
Instead, it was 17-year-old Albane Cachot who soared to the wall first, hitting a gold medal-worthy result of 54.17.
Opening in 26.04 and closing in 28.13, Cachot led wire-to-wire, establishing a huge new personal best in the process. Entering these championships, the teen’s career-swiftest performance checked in at the 54.61 nabbed this past June.
Her outing here now renders Cachot as France’s 8th-quickest female in history.
Daza Garcia, too, earned a new PB, with her runner-up mark of 54.39, overtaking the previous PB of 54.50 she established last year.
Finally, 17-year-old Grace Davison got on the board with bronze, as her 54.80 represents a monster PB, overtaking the former Irish national record of 54.87 Olympian Daniele Hill produced in 2022.
BOYS 100 BACKSTROKE – SEMIFINAL
- World junior record: 52.53 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2018
- European junior record: 52.53 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2018
- Meet record: 52.91 – Ksawery Masiuk (POL), 2022
- 2024 European junior champion: Daniele del Signore (ITA), 54.68
Top 8:
- Georgii Iakovlev (AIN), 54.26
- John Shortt (IRL), 54.97
- Daniele del Signore (ITA), 55.02
- Nathan Muratory (FRA), 55.05
- Dean Fearn (GBR), 55.35
- Romeo-Cesar Fadda-Sauvageot (FRA), 55.58
- Lev Steinberg (ISR), 55.73
- Mitja Bauer (GER), 55.86
Tonight’s semi-finals of the boys’ 100m backstroke saw just two swimmers register times under the 55-second threshold.
17-year-old Russian Georgii Iakovlev, competing as a neutral athlete here, maintained his spot as the top-seeded swimmer, clocking 54.26 to land lane 4 for tomorrow night’s main event.
John Shortt of Ireland was next in 54.97, hunting for gold after missing out on repeating as 200m back European Junior champion last night in that event’s final.
The 2024 champion Daniele del Signore lurks as the 3rd seed in 55.02 while the rest of the field are still in contention, separated by just over half a second.
GIRLS 100 BREASTSTROKE – SEMIFINAL
- World junior record: 1:04.35, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2013
- European junior record: 1:04.35, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2013
- Meet record: 1:05.48, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2013
- 2024 European junior champion: Eneli Jevimova (EST) – 1:06.12
Top 8:
- Smilte Plytnykaite (LTU), 1:07.40
- Theodora Taylor (GBR), 1:08.87
- Irene Burato (ITA), 1:09.01
- Lena Ludwig (GER), 1:09.02
- Hannah Schneider (GER), 1:09.12
- Daria Asaftei (ROU), 1:09.23
- Nayara Pineda Lopez (ESP), 1:09.43
- Jimena Ruiz Sanchez (ESP), 1:09.46
University of Virginia commit Smilte Plytnykaite of Lithuania, last year’s silver medalist, grabbed the top spot in the girls’ 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:07.40.
That effort represents a new lifetime best for the teen, erasing her former PB of 1:07.63 put up during this year’s Mare Nostrum Tour.
Plytnykaite holds a comfortable advantage over the rest of the field, one which includes last year’s bronze medalist Theodora Taylor who notched 1:08.87 for the 2nd seed.
BOYS 100 BREASTSTROKE – SEMIFINAL
- World junior record: 59.01, Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA), 2017
- European junior record: 59.01, Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA), 2017
- Meet record: 59.23, Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA), 2017
- 2024 European junior champion: Evangelos Efraim Ntoumas (GRE), 1:00.80
Top 8:
- Filip Nowacki (GBR), 59.96
- Evangelos Efraim Ntoumas (GRE), 1:00.70
- Nusrat Allahverdi (TUR), 1:00.76
- Nikita Batuev (AIN), 1:01.16
- Jan Malte Grafe (GER), 1:01.18
- Joshua Inglis (GBR), 1:01.59
- Jan Gajda (POL) & Mark Teler (ISR), 1:01.60
17-year-old Filip Nowacki already nailed a new European Junior Record en route to winning the boys’ 200m breaststroke last night and the Brit looks primed to repeat the result in this 100m sprint.
Nowacki clocked a time of 59.96, the only mark of the field under the minute barrier, to land lane 4 for tomorrow night’s medal-contesting event.
Splitting 28.34/31.62, Nowacki’s 59.96 represents his first-ever foray under the minute barrier. Entering this competition, Nowacki’s lifetime best rested at the 1:00.25 put up at the AP Race International in May.
With tonight’s performance, however, Nowacki now bumps himself up to 10th place on the all-time British performers list.
His time also establishes a new British Age Record for 17-year-olds, erasing Max Morgan‘s former standard of 1:00.10 from this year’s World Championship Trials.
GIRLS 50 BUTTERFLY – SEMIFINAL
- World junior record: 25.46 – Rikako Ikee (JPN), 2017
- European junior record: 25.66
- Meet record: 26.10 – Lana Pudar (BIH), 2023
- 2024 European junior champion: Martine Damborg (DEN), 26.21 & Jana Pavalic (CRO), 26.21
Top 8:
- Mariia Osetrova (AIN), 26.46
- Albane Cachot (FRA), 26.57 & Jana Pavalic (CRO), 26.57
- –
- Skye Carter (GBR), 26.59
- Martine Damborg (DEN), 26.64 & Aliisa Soini (FIN), 26.64
- –
- Sandra Maria Balto (NOR), 26.73
- Flawia Kamzol (POL), 26.79
As is usually the case with 50s on the international racing scene, tonight’s girls’ 50m fly rendered a tightly packed field, with the top 8 separated by just .33.
Neutral athlete Mariia Osetrova led the charge in 26.46, but holds just a hair advantage over two other swimmers, Albane Cachot of France and Jana Pavalic of Croatia. Both touched in 26.57 to share the 2nd-seeded honors.
Cachot already won the 100m free title just a few events ago, while University of Virginia commit Pavalic is seeking revenge for having been disqualified in the 50m freestyle final earlier in the competition.
Denmark’s Martine Damborg, the 2024 champion in this event, lurks as the 5th-seeded swimmer, tied with Finnish athlete Aliisa Soini at 26.64.
BOYS 50 BUTTERFLY – SEMIFINAL
- World junior record: 22.96 – Diogo Ribeiro (POR), 2022
- European junior record: 22.96 – Diogo Ribeiro (POR), 2022
- Meet record: 23.44 – Teo del Reigo Torres (ESP), 2024
- 2023 European junior champion: Teo del Riego Torres (ESP), 23.44
Top 8:
- Dean Fearn (GBR), 23.45
- Jan Foltyn (CZE), 23.77
- Zoltan Bagi (HUN), 23.84
- Nemanja Maksic (SRB), 24.01
- Egor Proshin (AIN), 24.04
- Szymon Mroz (POL), 24.10
- Larus Amatus Thiel (GER), 24.14 & Tajus Juska (LTU), 24.14
- –
Dean Fearn, the Brit who already nabbed the 5th seed in the boys’ 100m backstroke semi-final, made it happen tonight in the 50m fly.
The 17-year-old turned in a solid effort of 23.45 to lead the pack, overtaking his previous PB of 23.69 in the process.
His 23.45 now makes the teen Great Britain’s 6th-best performer in history.
He’ll need to fend off Jan Foltyn of the Czech Republic who notched 23.77 and Zoltan Bagi of Hungary who earned the 3rd seed in 23.84.
Top 6 British Men’s LCM 50 Fly Performers All-Time
- Ben Proud – 22.75, 2017
- Jacob Peters – 22.84, 2023
- Lewis Fraser – 23.26, 2024
- Adam Barrett – 23.40, 2014
- Josh Gammaon – 23.44, 2025
- Dean Fearn – 23.45, 2025
GIRLS 200 IM – SEMIFINAL
- World junior record: 2:06.89 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2023
- European junior record: 2:11.03
- Meet record: 2:12.41 – Leah Schlosshan (GBR), 2023
- 2024 European junior champion: Laura Cabanes Garzas (ESP), 2:13.25
Top 8:
- Amalie Smith (GBR), 2:13.54
- Noelle Benkler (GER), 2:13.78
- Grace Davison (IRL), 2:15.02
- Estella Nollgen (ESP), 2:15.12
- Phoebe Cooper (GBR), 2:15.45
- Laura Sophie Kohlmann (GER), 2:15.52
- Giulia Pascareanu (ITA), 2:15.68
- Tess Tinker (FRA), 2:16.09
Already a 400m IM winner here in a new European Junior Record, 15-year-old Amalie Smith of Great Britain broke through once again with a top-seeded time of 2:13.54 in the girls’ 200m IM.
Smith’s performance here already cracked the 2:14.57 she posted at this year’s Luxembourg Euro Meet to check in as Great Britain’s 30th-best performer of all time.
Last year’s silver medalist Phoebe Cooper, also of Great Britain, hit 2:15.45 as the 5th seed while Germany’s Noelle Benkler captured the 2nd slot in 2:13.78.
GIRLS 100 BACKSTROKE – SEMIFINAL
- World junior record: 57.57 – Regan Smith (USA), 2019
- European junior record: 59.08 – Anastasia Shkurdai (BLR), 2020
- Meet record: 59.62 – Polina Egorova (RUS), 2017
- 2024 European junior champion: Daria-Mariuca Silisteanu (ROU), 1:00.72
Top 8:
- Sara Costa de Vicente (ESP), 1:00.90
- Jeanne Lechevalier (FRA), 1:01.25
- Blythe Kinsman (GBR), 1:01.37
- Daria-Mariuca Silisteanu (ROU), 1:01.43
- Aissia-Claudia Prisecariu (ROU), 1:01.45
- Estella Nollgen (ESP), 1:01.56
- Benedetta Boscare (ITA), 1:01.93
- Varvara Hlushchenko (POL), 1:01.94
Nothing too crazy transpired in the semi-finals of the girls’ 100m backstroke as no competitor dipped under the 1:00 threshold.
Spain’s Sara Costa de Vicente hit the fastest time of the field in 1:00.90 followed by France’s Jeanne Lechevalier‘s outing of 1:01.25 and British swimmer Blythe Kinsman‘s result of 1:01.37.
Last year it took Romania’s Daria-Mariuca Silisteanu a time of 1:00.72 to take the gold and the defending champion ranks as 4th out of the semi-finals in 1:01.43.
BOYS 800 FREESTYLE – FINAL
- World junior record: 7:43.37 – Lorenzo Galossi (ITA), 2022
- European junior record: 7:43.37 – Lorenzo Galossi (ITA), 2022
Meet record: 7:47.45 – Petar Mitsin (BUL), 2023- 2024 European junior champion: Kuzey Tuncelli (TUR), 7:48.01
GOLD – Kuzey Tuncelli (TUR), 7:46.01 *Championship Record
SILVER – Grigorii Vekovishchev (AIN), 7:51.49
BRONZE – Johannes Liebmann (GER), 7:54.09
Turkey’s Kuzey Tuncelli successfully defended his 2024 title in the boys’ 800m free, clocking a time of 7:46.01 to establish a new Championship Record.
His time overtook the previous meet mark of 7:47.45 Bulgarian Petar Mitsin established at the 2023 edition of this competition.
Tuncelli led wire-to-wire, getting to the wall in the sole time of the field under the 7:50 barrier.
Behind him was neutral athlete Grigorii Vekovishchev who checked in with 7:51.49 as the silver medalist and then Germany’s Age Group Record holder Johannes Liebmann who bagged bronze in 7:54.09.
GIRLS 800 FREESTYLE – FINAL
- World junior record: 8:11.00 – Katie Ledecky (USA), 2014
- European junior record: 8:21.91 – Merve Tuncel (TUR), 2021
- Meet record: 8:21.91 – Merve Tuncel (TUR), 2021
- 2024 European junior champion: Amelie Blocksidge (GBR). 8:30.05
GOLD – Sofia Diakova (AIN), 8:27.78
SILVER – Emma Vittoria Giannelli (ITA), 8:29.65
BRONZE – Amelie Blocksidge (GBR), 8:33.78
It was an upset of sorts in this girls’ 800m free final, as Great Britain’s Amelie Blocksidge was denied the gold, relegated to 3rd place in an effort of 8:33.78.
Getting to the wall first was neutral athlete Sofia Diakova who nabbed the gold in 8:27.78, leading Italy’s Emma Vitto0ria Giannelli who was also sub-8:30 in 8:29.65.
Diakova’s time tonight was within range of her PB of 8:24.93, a benchmark she established in April of this year.
BOYS 4×200 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINAL
- World junior record: 7:08.37 – USA, 2019
- European junior record: 7:10.95 – Hungary, 2017
- Meet record: Italy, 7:12.15 (2024)
- 2023 European junior champion: Italy – 7:17.42
GOLD – France, 7:15.99
SILVER – Italy, 7:16.51
BRONZE – Turkey, 7:20.67
France ended the evening with a gold medal-winning performance in the boys’ 4x200m freestyle relay.
The combination of Raphael-Sauveur Cristofini, Gabriel Crassard, Simon Meubry and Neo Dutriaux collecitely stopped the clock at a time 7:15.99.
Cristofini led off in 1:49.07 to hand it off to Crassard who punched a split of 1:50.08. Meubry continued the momentum with a 3rd leg of 1:49.62 before anchor Dutriaux unleashed a final split of 1:47.22 to give France the edge.
Defending champions Italy were rendered the silver medalists in 7:16.51 and Turkey rounded out the podium in 7:20.67 this evening.
The times posted for the 200im are from the heats. Smith went 2:13 tonight for a national age group best, beating SOC’s record. Fearn was a national age best too, as well as. Scottish record.
Fearn would be an absolute beast in the US College system were he interested in that route.
His range from 50 fly right up to 200 back is awesome, and I’m pretty confident he could lay down a 49s LC 100 freestyle relay leg in current shape, he hasn’t dabbled in freestyle loads but it’s very good.
Do they prioritise LCM within the College system, given that’s his strength? Or is he at risk of being used as a project for coaches focused on high-intensity, smash-and-grab training?
Aberdeen Dolphins is a mostly USRPT club with some classical training mixed in
Thanks! The results were lagging there for a bit.
Pretty sure those girls’ 200IM semi results are wrong, Retta.
Heat times and not semi finals
SwimSwam photo curse 4/5
Amalie needs some help on her speed. She’s splitting the same in the 800 as in the 1500. In fact I think she’s swimming every lap even over 1500 at within about a second of her top speed. That’s remarkable but limits her potential. If she can’t get faster she might be best in open water. That metronomic pace would be deadly over 10k
Her 200 and 400 are quite dreadful for a 16:10 swimmer – really really hope she can figure it out because the potential is enormous there!
I said this years ago – she could be an open water dynamo.
She doesn’t currently have the speed required for open water.
Her technique and skills haven’t progressed much if at all over the years, and this appears to be the limiting factor in her development.
She would benefit from an environment that prioritises her long-term potential rather than short-term outcomes.
She clearly has talent, but without the right technical focus and support, there’s a risk she may not fulfil it.
Her coach thinks he’s Bob Bowman!
I’m sure Bob would see the importance of addressing the bigger-picture issues.
With Sharon retired and Lani Pallister not yet figuring out that open water is an almost guaranteed individual Olympic gold for her (she’s got the speed, is tough as nails, and is comfortable in open water) if she wants it, the door is open. Amalie doesn’t have 4:03 400 speed like Sharon did, but she can maintain the speed she has for a long time, which adds up over 10k or especially 25k. Ana Marcela Cunha, arguably the best female open water swimmer ever, had a PB of 8:40 in the 800 and 16:25 in the 1500. Amalie’s strength, much like Ana’s, is that she doesn’t slow down as the distance increases, and that 1500 is proof.
Hall of fame stuff.