2025 European Junior Championships: Day One Finals Live Recap

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)

We’re entering day one of the 2025 European Junior Championships taking place in Šamorín, Slovakia.

This 51st edition of the European Junior Championships features girls aged 14-17 and boys aged 15-18. Heats begin at 9:30 AM local time (3:30 AM ET), and finals begin at 6:00 PM local time (12:00 PM ET) on each of the six days of racing.

Following along as we watch current and future stars in action, refreshing this post for the latest updates and reactions.

GIRLS 400 IM – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 4:24.38 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2023
• European Junior Record: 4:38.53 – Alba Vazquez Ruiz (ESP), 2019
• European Record: 4:26.36 – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2016
• Championship Record: 4:39.28 – Vivien Jackl (HUN), 2024
• 2024 European Junior Champion: Viven Jackl (HUN), 4:39.28

GOLD – Amalie Smith (GBR), 4:37.02 *Championship Record
SILVER – Noelle Benkler (GER), 4:39.01
BRONZE – Vivien Jackl (HUN), 4:40.40

We saw an upset in the first event of these European Junior Championships as 15-year-old Amalie Smith of Great Britain unleashed a huge personal best of 4:37.02 to top the girls’ 400m IM podium.

Smith cleared the field by just under two seconds, getting to the wall comfortably ahead of Germany’s Noelle Benkler of Germany who touched in 4:39.01.

Surprisingly, Vivien Jackl of Hungary, the winner of this event at the past two editions of this competition, fell to the bronze medal position in 4:40.40, outside the 4:39.28 Championship Record which brought her gold in 2024.

For Smith, tonight’s outing obliterated her former career-swiftest outing of 4:41.70 from the Luxembourg Euro Meet in January of this year. That established a new British Age Record for 15-year-old girls, so tonight’s performance erased that benchmark as well.

Smith now ranks as Great Britain’s 6th-best women’s 400m IM performer of all time across all ages.

Top 6 British Women’s LCM 400 IM Performers All-Time

1. Hannah Miley – 4:31.33, 2009
2. Aimee Booker (nee Willmott) – 4:33.01, 2014
3. Freya Colbert – 4:34.01, 2024
4. Abbie Wood – 4:36.66, 2025
5. Katie Shanahan – 4:36.67, 2024
6. Amalie Smith – 4:37.02, 2025

Not to be missed was the fact that runner-up Benkler’s time represented her first-ever foray under the 4:40 barrier as well. The German entered this meet with a PB of 4:43.51 put up just last month to win gold at the German Junior Championships. That means in a matter of just weeks, Benkler dropped over 4 seconds to land on the podium here.

GIRLS 200 FREE – SEMI-FINAL

• World Junior Record: 1:53.65, Summer McIntosh (2023)
• European Junior Record: 1:56.17, Nikolett Padar (HUN), 2023
• European Record: 1:52.98, Federica Pellegrini (2009)
• Championship Record: 1:57.51, Isabel Gose (2019)
• 2024 European Junior Champion: Minna Abraham (HUN), 1:57.52

Top 8:

1. Bianca Nannucci (ITA), 1:59.14
2. Maria Daza Garcia (ESP), 1:59.46
3. Sofia Diakova (AIN), 1:59.53
4. Albane Cachot (FRA), 1:59.65
5. Sylvia Statkevicius (LTU), 1:59.80
6. Ieva Jurkunaite (LTU), 1:59.89
7. Kseniia Misharina (AIN), 2:00.01
8. Barbara Lesniewska (POL), 2:00.10

The semi-final of the girls’ 200m freestyle featured a tightly-packed field, with the top 6 performers all under the 2:00 barrier and within .75 of one another.

Italy’s 17-year-old Bianca Nannucci nabbed the top spot with a morning effort of 1:59.14, the 2nd-best performance of her career. She owns a PB of 1:58.35 en route to earning bronze in this event at last month’s Sette Colli Trophy.

Right behind her this evening was Maria Daza Garcia of Spain, putting her hat in the ring with a time of 1:59.46. She has also been in the 1:58 territory before, bringing a career-quickest result of 1:58.81 into this meet.

A pair of neutral athletes in Sofia Diakova and Kseniia Misharina are also in the mix, capturing the 3rd and 7th seeds, respectively. Lithuania also has a pair of athletes ready to vie for medals, with Sylvia Statkevicius logging 1:59.80 for the 5th seed and Ieva Jurkunaite at 1:59.89 for the 6th rank.

BOYS 200 FREE – SEMI-FINAL

• World Junior Record: 1:42.97, David Popovici (2022)
• European Junior Record: 1:42.97, David Popovici (2022)
• European Record: 1:42.00, Paul Biedermann (2009)
• Championship Record: 1:45.26, David Popovici (2021)
• 2024 European Junior Champion: 1:47.74, Kristupas Trepocka (LTU)

Top 8:

1. Tajus Juska (LTU), 1:47.35
2. Christian Giefing (AUT), 1:47.58
3. Sander Sorensen (NOR), 1:47.99
4. Ahmet Mete Boylu (TUR), 1:48.35
5. Milan Vojtko (SVK), 1:48.99
6. Raphael-Sauveur Cristofini (FRA), 1:49.09
7. Tiago Fonseca Gomes (NED), 1:49.32
8. Alberto Ferrazza (ITA), 1:49.33

16-year-old Tajus Juska is hungry for gold in this boys’ 200m freestyle, ripping a solid morning performance of 1:47.35 to stake his claim for tomorrow night’s main event.

The Lithuanian National Age Group Record holder led his semi-final wire-to-wire, splitting 24.13/27.15 (51.28)/28.11/27.96 a he lowered his lifetime best to 1:47.35, his first time under the 1:48 barrier.

His previous NAG stood at the 1:48.16 posted in April of this year.

But Juska wasn’t alone in sub-1:48 territory as 2nd-seeded Christian Giefing (17) of Austria and Sander Sorensen of Norway both joined him.

Giefing turned in a speedy 1:47.58 to overtake his previous PB of 1:48.10 from last December, ready to deny Juska the gold.

As for Sorensen, the 18-year-old has been on fire as of late, establishing a new Norwegian national record of 1:46.48 in this event, a time he registered at April’s Bergen Swim Festival. That time would have grabbed the gold at the 2024 edition of these Euro Jrs, beating the 1:47.74 Lithuania’s Kristupas Trepocka clocked to top the podium.

GIRLS 50 BACK – SEMI-FINAL

• World Junior Record: 27.49, Minna Atherton (2016)
• European Junior Record: 27.51, Daria Vaskina (2019)
• European Record: 27.10, Kira Toussaint (2021)
• Championship Record: 27.74, Mary-Ambre Moluh (2022)
• 2024 European Junior Champion: 27.94 Sara Curtis (ITA)

Top 8:

1. Blythe Kinsman (GBR), 28.17
2. Varvara Hlushchenko (POL), 28.49
3. Daria-Mariuca Silisteanu (ROU), 28.50 & Jeanne Lechevalier (FRA), 28.50
4. –
5. Martine Damborg (DEN), 28.53
6. Emilija Pociute (LTU), 28.72
7. Chiara Lamanna (ITA), 28.80
8. Ludovica di Maria (ITA), 28.87 & Sara Costa de Vicente (ESP), 28.87

The 50s of any stroke are notorious for close calls, which was certainly the case this evening in the women’s 50m back semi-finals.

We saw two ties, one for the 3rd seed and one for the 8th seed, which means a swim-off will most likely transpire at the end of the session unless Italy’s Ludovica di Maria or Spain’s Sara Costa de Vicente drop the event outright.

At the top of the heap was 18-year-old Blythe Kinsman, the British ace who notched a mark of 28.17 to hold a .42 advantage over 2nd-seeded Varvara Hlushchenko of Poland.

Kinsman was the bronze medalist in this event last year in Lithuania, hitting a time of 28.29 so the teen is already beneath that threshold tonight.

She is Great Britain’s 9th-swiftest performer in history in this event, owning a PB of 27.93 from this year’s World Championship Trials.

Lurking as the 5th seed is versatile Danish swimmer Martine Damborg. Damborg snagged silver in this race last year, posting 28.27, so we know she’s capable of soaring up the rankings once the medals are on the line.

BOYS 50 BACK – SEMI-FINAL

• World Junior Record: 24.00, Kliment Kolesnikov (2018)
• European Junior Record: 24.00, Kliment Kolesnikov (2018)
• European Record: 23.80, Kliment Kolesnikov (2021)
• Championship Record: 24.52, Kliment Kolesnikov (2018)
• 2024 European Junior Champion: 24.68, Mantas Kauspedas (LTU)

Top 8:

1. Georgii Iakovlev (AIN), 24.98
2. Daniele del Signore (ITA), 25.17
3. Mikhail Shcherbakov (AIN), 25.36
4. Martin MIchael Kizierowski Palomo (ESP), 25.44
5. Mantas Kauspedas (LTU), 25.52
6. Rio Daodu (GBR), 25.57
7. John Shortt (IRl), 25.63
8. Sebestyen Papp (HUN), 25.70

It took a time of 24.68 to win gold in this men’s 50m backstroke last year and field-leading Georgii Iakovlev is already just .30 outside that mark out of tonight’s semi-finals.

The 17-year-old Russian, competing as a neutral athlete here, scored a time of 24.98 as the sole competitor of the pack to delve under the 25-second barrier.

However, Iakovlev has already proven his mettle this season, bringing a lifetime best of 24.55 into this competition from April’s Russian National Championships to rank 10th in the world at the moment.

Italy’s Daniele del Signore is in the hunt, with the reigning European Junior Championships silver medalist putting up a solid morning swim of 25.17 while another neutral athlete, Mikhail Shcherbakov, ranked 3rd in 25.36.

Lithuania’s Mantas Kauspedas should not be ignored as the 5th seed. The 17-year-old topped this 50m back podium last year in his home country, establishing a new national record of 24.68 in the process.

GIRLS 50 BREAST – SEMI-FINAL

• World Junior Record: 29.30, Benedetta Pilato (2021)
• European Junior Record: 29.30, Benedetta Pilato (2021)
• European Record: 29.16, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2023
• Championship Record: 29.75, Benedetta Pilato (2021)
• 2024 European Junior Champion: 31.27, Smilte Plytnykaite (LTU)

Top 8:

1. Smilte Plytnykaite (LTU), 31.08
2. Egle Salu (EST), 31.31
3. Ralina Gilazova (AIN), 31.41
4. Guoda Stancikaite (LTU), 31.56
5. Nayara Pineda Lopez (ESP), 31.60
6. Irene Bruato (ITA), 31.61
7. Lena Ludwig (GER), 31.63
8. Jasmine Carter (GBR), 31.82

The girls’ 50m breaststroke semi-finalists held their cards relatively closely to their chests tonight, with no competitor dipping beneath the 31-second barrier.

However, Lithuania’s Smilte Plytnykaite, a University of Virginia commit, clocked a swift 31.08 to land lane 4 for tomorrow night’s final, already beating the 31.27 she logged to take gold last year.

Estonia’s Egle Salu was next in a time of 31.31 while neutral athlete Ralina Giliazova rounded out the top 3 performers right behind in 31.41

Plytnykaite was actually quicker this morning, earning the top seed in 30.92, a new PB and first outing under the 31-second threshold. She remains Lithuania’s #3 performer in history.

5th-seeded Nayara Pineda Lopez lurks as the 5th seed in 31.60. The 17-year-old Spaniard bagged bronze last year in Lithuania in a time of 31.46.

BOYS 50 BREAST – SEMI-FINAL

• World Junior Record: 26.97, Nicolo Martinenghi (2017)
• European Junior Record: 26.97, Nicolo Martinenghi (2017)
• European Record: 25.95, Adam Peaty (2017)
• Championship Record: 27.23, Nicolo Martinenghi (2017)
• 2024 European Junior Champion: 27.60, Nusrat Allahverdi (TUR)

Top 8:

1. Nusrat Allahverdi (TUR), 27.38
2. Jan Malte Grafe (GER), 27.59
3. Filip Nowacki (GBR), 27.63
4. Evangelos Efraim Ntoumas (GRE), 27.79
5. Rio Halawi (DEN), 27.82
6. Subajr Biltaev (GER), 27.85
7. Mark Teler (ISR), 27.87
8. Oleg Plotnikov (AIN), 27.94

Turkey’s Nusrat Allahverdi continued his domination of this boys’ 50m breaststroke event, carrying momentum from this morning’s heats, which saw him capture the top seed.

While his heats swim checked in at 27.62, Allahverdi dropped that down significantly to land at 27.38 to vie for gold tomorrow evening.

That mark is just .18 off his lifetime best of 27.20 performed at the Acropolis Open in Greece earlier this year, with the time only four-tenths shy of Emre Sakci‘s Turkish Record in the event.

Allavehrdi is the defending champion, putting up a time of 27.60 last year in Lithuania.

German Jan Malte Grafe isn’t going down without a fight, however, registering 27.59 while Filip Nowacki of Great Britain turned in a new National Age Group Record for 17-year-olds with his 3rd-seeded time of 27.63.

Nowacki’s outing sliced .01 off the former British Age Record of 27.62 countryman Max Morgan put on the books at April’s Aquatics GB Championships/World Championship Trials. This evening, Nowacki beat his previous PB of 27.70 from this past May.

Germany’s Subajr Biltaev earned silver last year in 27.78 and checked in as the 6th-seeded swimmer in these semi-finals in 27.85.

BOYS 200 FLY – SEMI-FINAL

• World Junior Record: 1:53.79, Kristof Milak (2017)
• European Junior Record: 1:52.71, Kristof Milak (2018)
• European Record: 1:50.34, Kristof Milak (2022)
• Championship Record: 1:53.79, Kristof Milak (2017)
• 2024 European Junior Champion: 1:57.42, Vlad-Stefan Mihalache (ROU)

Top 8:

1. Blazej Dworakowski (POL), 1:58.20
2. David Antal (HUN), 1:58.26
3. Enrico Sottile (SUI), 1:58.79
4. Mateo Gregoire-Charmasson (FRA), 1:59.17
5. Tuncer Berek Erturk (TUR), 1:59.22
6. Isak Fernandez Rodrigo (ESP), 1:59.65
7. Jan Jurcik (CZE), 1:59.67
8. Nicola Furlani (ITA), 1:59.89

The top 8 performers in these boys’ 200m fly semi-finals all cleared the 2:00 barrier, led by Poland’s 18-year-old Blazej Dworakowski.

Dworakowski turned in a time of 1:58.20, a new personal best by over half a second, beating his 1:58.74 from April of this year.

Hungary’s David Antal was a hair behind, hitting 1:58.26 for the 2nd seed, although his personal best remains at the 1:57.67, which rendered him the bronze medalist in Lithuania last year.

Switzerland is in the mix, courtesy of Enrico Sottile‘s effort of 1:58.79.

Turkey’s Tuncer Erturk led the heat with a top-seeded swim of 1:58.92 but dropped off tonight to log 1:59.22 and claim the 5th seed.

GIRLS 4×100 FREE RELAY – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 3:36.19, Canada (2017)
• European Junior Record: 3:39.91
• European Record: 3:31.72, Netherlands (2009)
• Championship Record: 3:40.10, Russia (2021)
• 2024 European Junior Champion: 3:41.12, Italy

GOLD – Spain, 3:41.29
SILVER – Italy, 3:41.69
BRONZE – Germany, 3:42.36

Ladies and gentlemen,n we experience our second upset of the evening, as the Spanish girls’ 4x100m free relay took the gold over Italy, the nation which has won this event for the past three years.

The Spanish quartet of Maria Daza Garcia, Irene Ciercoles Galve, Claudia Munoz Becerra and Sara Costa de Vicente combined to collectively stop the clock at a time of 3:41.29, sneaking to the wall just .40 ahead of the Italians.

Italy settled for silver, with its team comprised of Alessandra Leoni, Ludovica di Maria, Alessandra Mao and Caterina Santambrogio.

Germany rounded out the podium in 3:42.36.

For Spain, Garcia led off in 54.87 followed by Galve who carried on the speed in 55.13. Becerra logged a 3rd leg of 55.59 before Vicente sealed the deal in an anchor of 55.70.

As for Italy, their foursome saw Santambrogio fire off the fastest split, trying to catch Spain in a final leg of 54.84.

For perspective, Spain finished in 7th place in this event last year, posting 3:47.22, so tonight’s performance obliterated that former time by nearly 6 seconds. Their 3:41.29 is within a second of the longstanding Spanish national record of 3:40.46 put on the books in 2016.

BOYS 4×100 FREE RELAY – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 3:15.49, United States (2023)
• European Junior Record: 3:16.26, Russia (2019)
• European Record: 3:08.32, France (2008)
• Championship Record: 3:16.58, Italy (2009)
• 2024 European Junior Champion: 3:17.04, Italy

GOLD – Italy, 3:18.34
SILVER – France, 3:19.26
BRONZE – Great Britain, 3:20.00

Italy exacted revenge in the boys’ edition of the 4x100m free relay, with the foursome of Francesco Ceolin, Daniel del Signore, Luca Antonio Scampicchio and Daniel D’Agostino stopping the clock at a time of 3:18.34.

Although that was well off the mark of 3:17.04 that brought Italy gold last year, it was enough to hold off France who was next to the wall in 3:19.26.

Great Britain also landed on the podium, taking bronze in 3:20.00.

Splits for Italy’s gold medal-winning squad included:

• Ceolin – 50.08
• Del Signore – 49.36
• Scampicchio – 49.83
• D’Agostino – 49.07