2026 Bergen Swim Festival: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2026 Bergen Swim Festival

• Friday, April 17th – Sunday, April 19th
• Prelims at 9:00am local (3:00am ET)/Finals at 6pm local (Noon ET)
• Bergen, Norway
• Alexander Dale Oen (AdO) Arena, Bergen (50m Olympic pool)
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The final night of racing at the 2026 Bergen Swim Festival kicks off tonight from the Alexander Dale Oen Arena in Bergen, Norway.

There are several American swimmers in attendance, including breakout breaststroke star Van Mathias, with Indiana brining a number of its pro squad over to Norway. There have been notable performances  from Mathias and Matt King so far, as well as from established international stars Lukas Maertens, Siobhan Haughey and Marrit Steenbergen. For Maertens, this meet will count as a selection meet for Germany’s European Championships squad, for which he has stiff competition from Sven Schwarz, Oliver Klemet, and Johannes Liebmann in the distance freestyle events.

Tonight’s session will feature the men’s 50 breaststroke, women’s 100 breaststroke, men’s 50 freestyle, women’s 400 freestyle, men’s 200 IM, women’s 100 backstroke, men’s 50 backstroke, women’s 200 butterfly, men’s 100 butterfly, women’s 50 freestyle, and men’s 400 freestyle.

Stay tuned for live updates.

Men’s 50m Breaststroke – Final

• World Record: 25.95 – Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017
• European Record: 25.95– Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017

GOLD – Van Mathias (USA), 26.46
SILVER – Finn Brooks (USA), 27.48
BRONZE – Brian Benzing (USA), 27.76

Van Mathias just missed his American record of 26.39 that he set in prelims this morning, but still dominated this race to win by over a second. This marks his fourth swim of 26.62 or better this calendar year, and he now owns two of the top three performance by a U.S. swimmer in this event.

He remains ranked #1 in the world, and his swim tonight was faster than current #2 Simone Cerasuolo’s 26.51. Mathias’ time here is the joint-40th fastest swim in history, and he becomes just the ninth swimmer in history to dip under 26.5 on more than one occasion.

Swimmers With More Than One Sub-26.5 Swim, Men’s 50 Breast

• Adam Peaty – 16
• Qin Haiyang – 11
• Nicolo Martingenghi – 7
• Ilya Shymanovich – 7
• Felipe Lima – 2
• Ludovico Viberti -2
• Sam Williamson – 2
• Nic Fink -2
• Van Mathias – 2

Fellow Indiana alum Finn Brooks, who recently announced a move to San Diego’s The Race Club, was 2nd in 27.48, 0.43 seconds off his best of 27.05 from January. Brian Benzing and Josh Matheny was 3rd and 4th in 27.76 and 27.81 respectively, as Indiana swept the top four spots.

Women’s 100m Breaststroke – Final

• World Record: 1:04.13– Lilly King  (USA), 2017
• European Record: 1:04.35– Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2013

GOLD – Olivia Klint Ipsa (SWE), 1:08.08
SILVER – Anastasia Urbaniek (FRA), 1:10.47
BRONZE –Hanna Bergman (SWE), 1:10.52

Olivia Klint Ipsa took the win in the women’s 100 breaststroke by over two seconds, missing the meet record by just over eight tenths of a second in 1:08.08. That marks a season best for her, lowering the 1:08.59 she swam at the Malmstein Swim Open last week, but is off her PB of 1:06.92 from 2024.

Anastasia Urbaniek took silver out of lane 1 in 1:10.47, with Hanna Bergman making it a Swedish 1-3 as she took bronze in 1:10.52.

Men’s 50m Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 20.88– Cameron McEvoy (AUS), 2026
• European Record: 20.94– Frederick Bousquet (FRA), 2009

GOLD – Matt King (USA), 21.72
SILVER – Mikkel Lee (SGP), 21.95
BRONZE – Jan Foltyn (CZE), 22.24

Matt King had another big swim here in Bergen after setting a lifetime best in the 100 free on Friday, coming within 0.02 seconds of his PB and resetting the meet record. He lowered Kyle Chalmers mark of 21.78 from last year with his second fastest swim ever, posting the 11th-fastest time in the world so far this season.

Mikkel Lee set a new lifetime best as he broke 22 seconds for the first time behind King, coming within 0.04 seconds of Jonathan Tan’s mark of 21.91. This is the second PB in two days in the sprints for Lee, after he set a PB of 23.19 in the 50 fly last night

Jan Foltyn lowered his Czech record by 0.02 seconds to take bronze, clocking 22.24 to dip under his former best from the World Championships last summer. Just 18 years old, he had some great performances at the European Short Course Championships, including a 20.78 split on the Czech men’s record-setting 4×50 medley relay. He also dropped half a second in the 100 free on Friday, clocking 49.44.

Women’s 4o0m Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 3:54.18 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2025
• European Record: 3:54.18 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2025

GOLD – Anna Peplowski (USA), 4:10.82
SILVER – Bea Hovda (NOR), 4:12.74
BRONZE – Elvira Mortstrand (SWE), 4:18.88

Anna Peplowski rocketed out in the women’s 400 free, flipping in 58.98 at the 100 meter mark, nearly three seconds ahead of Norwegian Bea Hovda. She turned at halfway in 2:03.24, just off her PB pace, before coming home around a second and a half off her best to take the win in 4:10.82, just off the 4:10.55 she posted at the U.S. Open in December.

Hovda nearly even-split her race, clocking 4:06.21/4:06.53 for a huge lifetime best, hacking three seconds off the 4:16.09 she swam at the Malmstein Swim Open last week. She now sits second in Norwegian history, behind only national record holder Irene Dalby’s 4:11.51 from the 1989 European Championships.

Men’s 200m IM – Final

• World Record: 1:52.69 – Leon Marchand (FRA), 2025
• European Record: 1:52.69 – Leon Marchand (FRA), 2025

GOLD – Luke Barr (USA), 1:58.93
SILVER – Jakub Bursa (CZE), 2:03.54
BRONZE –Michal Judickij (CZE), 2:04.20

Luke Barr was out in a rapid 54.98, four seconds ahead of the second-fastest swimmer at the halfway point. He split 34.39 on the breaststroke leg, putting him 1.36 seconds ahead of PB pace heading into the final 50.

He was a shade under the 29.58 he split on his previous best, swum last month at the Pro Swim Series, closing in 29.56 here to take the win in a huge PB of 1:58.93. That was a drop of 1:38 seconds, and nearly two seconds faster than the time he swam at U.S. Nationals last summer. He moves up to 34th all-time among U.S. men, and continues his PB streak at this meet.

The runner-up from the 400 IM last night, Jakub Bursa, was 2nd in 2:03.54, with the winner of that event, Michal Judickij, 3rd in 2:04.20.

Women’s 100m Backstroke – Final

• World Record: 57.13– Regan Smith (USA), 2024
• European Record: 58.08 – Kathleen Dawson (GBR), 2021

GOLD – Anna Peplowski (USA), 1:00.04
SILVER – Hanna Rosvall (SWE), 1:01.51
BRONZE – Fanny Teijonsalo (FIN), 1:02.17

Just 13 minutes after exiting the pool after the 400 free, Anna Peplowski dove back in to take the win in the women’s 100 back in 1:00.04. That just missed her PB of 59.94 from the Pro Swim Series last month, but ranks as her second fastest swim ever.

She pulled away from Hanna Rosvall and Fanny Teijonsalo on the second 50, with all three splitting between 29.61 and 29.83 on the first 50. Peplowski’s 30.43 was too hot to handle however, with Rosvall touching 2nd nearly a second and a half back in 1:01.51, with Teijonsalo another 0.66 seconds behind in 1:02.17.

Men’s 50m Backstroke – Final

• World Record: 23.55 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2023
• European Record: 23.55 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2023

GOLD – Finn Brooks (USA), 25.15
SILVER – Charlie MacMillan (SWE), 25.97
BRONZE – Luke Barr (USA), 26.25

Finn Brooks dropped a quarter of a seconds from his PB in this event, touching in 25.15 to take gold and miss the meet record by just 0.16 seconds.

His previous best was 25.40 from the Pro Swim Series last month, which appears to be his first recorded swim in the event.

That followed up his silver in the 50 breast at the start of the session, and gives him one of the fastest 50 meter stroke add-ups in history at 1:37.90.

Charlie MacMillan was just a tenth off the 25.87 he swam this morning which ranked him 4th in the Swedish all-time rankings, after coming into the meet with a PB of 26.20.

Luke Barr, who was doubling up after the 200 IM less than 20 minutes ago, added half a second from his swim this morning to take bronze in 26.25, only just faster than the 26.40 he split in his 100 back last night.

Women’s 200m Butterfly– Final

• World Record: 2:01.81 – Liu Zige (CHN), 2009
• European Record: 2:04.27 – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2009

GOLD – Marthe Cecile Willumsen (NOR), 2:19.94
SILVER – Maelle Large (FRA), 2:23.67
BRONZE – Sunniva Pedersen (NOR), 2:27.81

Marthe Cecile Willumsen set a new lifetime best to take the win in 2:19.94, her first swim under the 2:20 barrier. SHe was out in 1:04.75, before closing in 36.78/38.41 to hang on for both the win and a new PB.

Maelle Large took silver in 2:23.67, dropping two seconds from her swim this morning, with Sunniva Pedersen making it a Norwegian 1-3 as she took bronze in 2:27.81

Men’s 100m Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 49.45 – Caeleb Dressel (USA), 2021
• European Record: 49.62 – Maxime Grousset (FRA), 2025

GOLD – Dare Rose (USA), 50.70
SILVER – Joshua Salchow (GER), 52.74
BRONZE – Nyls Korstanje (NED), 53.00

Dare Rose absolutely rocketed out in this event, hitting the halfway point in 23.89 before powering home in 26.81 too take the win by over two seconds. His winning time of 50.70 is his third-fastest ever.

Rose moved back to New Jersey after graduating from Cal, and is training with his former club team Scarlet Aquatics. On this evidence, that appears a great decision and he could be in line for some serious swims at the Pan Pacific Championships this summer.

He now ranks 3rd in the world this season after slicing half a second off the 51.19 he swam last week at the Malmstein Swim Open, which had ranked him 8th.

Joshua Salchow got the better of Nyls Korstanje in the battle for silver, closing half a second faster to touch in 52.74 to Korstanje’s 53.00. Finn Brooks was 8th in 54.14 having won the 50 back just 15 minutes previously.

Women’s 50m Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 23.61 – Sarah Sjoestroem (SWE), 2023
• European Record: 23.61 – Sarah Sjoestroem (SWE), 2023

GOLD – Barbara Janickova (CZE)/Marrit Steenbergen (NED), 24.81
SILVER – 
BRONZE – Louise Hansson (SWE), 25.25

Marrit Steenbergen claimed her fourth win from four events, as she tied with Czechia’s Barbara Janickova for gold here in 24.81. That was a quarter of a second off her season best of 24.56 from the Giant Open in Saint-Denis last month.

Barbara Janickova sliced a tenth off her lifetime best to inch closer to Barbara Seemanova’s Czech record of 24.67. She now ranks 21st in the world this season.

Louis Hansson got the better of Sara Junevik in an all-Swedish fight for bronze, clocking 25.25 to come within 0.10 seconds of her 2017 PB of 25.15. Junevik touched 4th in 25.42, lowering her best from last week by 0.12 seconds.

Men’s 400m Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 3:39.96 – Lukas Maertens (GER), 2025
• European Record: 3:39.96 – Lukas Maertens (GER), 2025

GOLD – Lukas Maertens (GER), 3:44.39
SILVER – Henrik Christiansen (NOR), 3:53.01 
BRONZE – Robin Hanson (SWE), 3:53.65

World record holder Lukas Maertens was out in 1:49.68 at the halfway point, more than five seconds ahead of the field, and only extended that lead through the second half of the race.

He kept every 50 under 29 seconds, splitting 24.95/27.60/28.34/28.79/28.68/28.83/28.59/28.51, as he cruised to victor by nearly nine seconds in 3:44.29. That sits 1.25 seconds off his season best of 3:43.04 from the China Open last month.

He remains ranked 3rd in the world this season, and is one of three Germans who are under 3:45 alongside Oliver Klemet (3:43.13) and Johannes Liebmann (3:44.59).

Maertens’ swim tonight set a new meet record by nearly four seconds, lowering Victor Johansson’s 2018 mark of 3:48.05.

Henrik Christiansen claimed silver for the host nation in 3:53.01, winning his third medal of the week after taking gold in the 800 free and 1500 free, with Sweden’s Robin Hanson just behind in 3:53.65, off his 2019 PB of 3:50.53.