2026 European Championships Previews: Evergreen Sjostrom Towers Over Women’s 50 Fly

European Swimming Championships

• August 10-16, 2026
• Paris, France — Olympic Aquatics Centre
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Meet Information
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview Index

BY THE NUMBERS – WOMEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY

• World Record: 24.43 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2014)
• European Record: 24.43 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2014)
• Championship Record: 24.43 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2014)
• 2025 World Champion: Gretchen Walsh, (USA), 24.83
• 2024 European Champion: Sara Junevik (SWE), 25.68

Since 2012, there have only been three women to stand atop the podium in the 50 fly. Ranomi Kromowidjojo won the 2020(1) edition and Sara Junevik won in 2024, but only because the most dominant swimmer of the previous decade was not in attendance either time.

Sarah Sjostrom has been the gold standard in this event for a decade and a half. The last time she was beaten in an international championship was back in 2011, 15 years ago, when she placed 4th at the World Championships.

She has returned from giving birth in exceptional form. She is once again the favorite, but behind her? A minefield to navigate for any swimmer with eyes on the podium.

Another Shot At Excellence

Sjostrom is the world record holder in this event courtesy of the 24.43 she clocked in 2014, and is one of only two women in history to break 25 seconds. She owns 23 of the 29 swims under the 25-second barrier, and has failed to clock a 24-point swim in only two seasons since – 2018 and 2025 – the latter of which she sat out.

This season she is just 0.06 seconds away. She swam 25.05 at the Sette Colli, faster than any other European women ever and tied for the #34 swim in history. She leads the European season rankings by half a second, and no one in this field has ever beaten her in the event.

That air of invincibility is part of the reason why she will almost certainly win gold in Paris, but the main reason is a simple one – she is very, very good at this event. Her track record is one of unbroken gold medals since 2012, not just at the European level but also at the World Championships.

Most of the words which could be used to describe Sjostrom have already been written. She will be the favorite. It will not be close.

Edging Ahead For The Podium

While Sjostrom has made the top step of the podium a no-go zone for anyone else, there are several returning medalists who will fancy standing next to her. The last two editions of the meet saw four different swimmers in the silver and bronze medal positions, with three of those returning, in addition to 2024 champion Sara Junevik.

Melanie Henique is the odd one out, missing the French qualifying standard by 0.01 seconds at the French Elite Championships, but her compatriot and 2022 silver medalist Marie Wattel is. She clocked 25.99 to take the win at those championships, but has a best time of 25.33 from the European Championships four years ago.

She hasn’t quite managed to capture the magic of her 2022 season in the years since though. She won silver in the 100 fly at the World Championships that summer, but failed to make any individual finals at the Paris Olympics two years ago and was a relay-only swimmer at the 2025 World Championships.

In fact, she had failed to break 26 seconds until early June this year, and even then she did so only by a hundredth of a second. With the depth in this field, she would need to surprise even to make the final.

The other returning medalists make a stronger case. Roos Vanotterdijk broke out with two individual medals at the 2025 World Championships, including bronze in the 50 fly, and set a Belgian record of 25.32 in the semi-finals. She does rank outside the European top ten this season with a 25.87, but dropped a ton last summer and does not have the same domestic competition as others in this field.

Roos Vanotterdijk (photo: Jack Spitser)

She is probably a favorite to claim one of the medals, but will need to be back in last summer’s form. The time required to make the final may not be far off what ends up winning a medal, so there can be no taking it easy through the heats and semis.

Maaike de Waard is the fastest Dutchwoman this season in a 25.62, which exactly matched her bronze medal-winning time from the European Championships in Rome four years ago. She missed the semi-finals at the World Championships last summer, adding three tenths from her season best as she clocked 26.20 for 21st, and missed the final at the 2023 World Championships as well.

European Championships have been a happier hunting ground for her though, adding a fifth-place finish in 2021 in her fourth-fastest swim ever, and seems to be back in the same form as she was in 2021 and 2022.

Anna Ntountounaki was the bronze medalist in 2024 in a time of 26.18, but set a Greek record of 25.63 last April and has been 25.95 this season. She swam a 26.01 for 17th at the World Championships last summer, but did place 7th at the 2024 World Championships (25.89) and 9th at the 2023 World Championships (25.82).

NTOUNTOUNAKI Anna 
Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Sara Junevik will be fighting it out with Louis Hansson to be the second Swede through to the semi-finals. Hansson has been slightly faster this season, 25.95 to 25.99, but Junevik has the faster lifetime best with a 25.50 last season to Hansson’s 25.84 from 2021.

Junevik also is the defending champion, improving through the rounds two years ago as the only swimmer at the meet to break 26 seconds, winning gold in 25.68. That time is not likely to medal this year, and could even miss out on the final, so she will need to be in top form.

A First Medal In Their Sights

Angelina Koehler was just 0.07 seconds off the podium at last year’s World Championships, clocking a new German record of 25.50, and has been 25.57 already this season to rank second in the European rankings. She has been stronger in the 100 fly internationally so far, winning the 2024 World title and placing 4th at the Paris Olympics, but placed higher in the 50 last summer.

She has been ever so slightly slower than last season so far – 25.57 compared to 25.55 – but has additional swims of 25.64 and 25.61. She should certainly have the nous to make it through to the final, and once there she has a real shot at her first European medal.

Tessa Giele and Kim Busch join de Waard as Dutchwomen under 26 seconds this season, with Giele leading the way 25.72 to 25.83. She was slightly faster at 25.65 last summer, but Busch’s time is a new lifetime best.

GIELE Tessa (NED).
Photo by Istvan Derencsenyi / European Aquatics

She was swimming 26-mids last season, although did post a 25.93 at the 2024 World Championships. With only three career swims under 26 seconds she may struggle a little to repeat her Trials’ swim, and could be one who misses the semi-finals as the third fastest from her nation.

Giele added a couple of tenths in the final at Dutch Trials, clocking her 25.72 in the earlier rounds, but has six sub-26 swims over the last year. A likely semi-finals-worthy time, but with a need to drop for a spot in the final.

Aleksandra Kusnetsova and Mariia Osetrova went 1-2 at the Russian Championships in 25.59 and 25.60, respectively, and have both set lifetime bests this season. Kusnetsova has hacked more than half a second off the 26.26 she clocked last season, and looks to have a strong case to be a finals favorite, but she did add three quarters of a second in the 50 free at the World Championships last summer.

Osetrova competed at the World Junior Championships last summer and also added time in her events, placing 4th in the 50 fly in a time of 26.22. She was slightly slower at the senior World Championships, clocking 26.37 for 23rd, but having that international experience may prove helpful this year for both swimmers.

Arina Surkova has no issues with international experience, but she is only the fourth fastest Russian swimmer this season in 25.82. She owns the Russian record with a 25.30 from 2023, and finished 5th at the World Championships last summer in a time of 25.59, albeit having been 25.73 in-season.

Anastasiya Kuliashova has a lifetime best of 25.66 from 2024, but her fastest swim last season was a 26.46 and she placed 33rd at the World Championships. This year she has been back in form, swimming five of the six fastest times in her career, including swims of 25.89 and 25.74 at the Belarus Open Championships.

Sara Curtis
credit: © Andrea Staccioli / DeepBlueMedia.eu – Photo courtesy FIN.

Sara Curtis is primarily a sprint freestyle/backstroke swimmer who crosses over into the 50 fly, but set a lifetime best of 25.95 earlier this season. She doesn’t have too much history in this event and is unlikely to be focusing on it, but certainly has the talent to make the semi-finals if she does.

Tamara Potocka has been steadily improving over the last two years, dropping from 26.12 to 25.63. She placed 4th at this meet two years ago in 26.21, just 0.03 seconds off the podium, and her heat time of 26.12 would have won bronze.

Since then she has broken the Slovak record twice, first clocking 25.86 at the European U23 Championships last summer to win silver, then placing 7th at the World Championships in 25.63. So far this season, she has been 26.45, 26.25, 25.80, and 25.90, indicating that she could be in even better form. With her drops in the 100 fly this season as well, she could be one to watch out for.

SwimSwam’s Picks

Dark Horse – Martine Damborg (DEN)

Damborg reset the European Junior record three times in short course last December, winning gold in 24.61, and won World Junior bronze last summer in a time of 25.80. She has been 26.08 so far this season, but is a rapidly improving swimmer to keep an eye on. She dropped time in the summer last season, and doing so again would make her a potential finalist.