2026 European Junior Championships: Day Six Finals Live Recap

2026 EUROPEAN JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Tuesday, July 7 – Sunday, July 12, 2026
Munich, Germany
LCM (50 meters)
Psych Sheet
Live Results
Recaps
- Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6
- Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

We’ve finally arrived on the last day of action at the 2026 European Junior Swimming Championships.

Through the first five days, we’ve been treated to some high-octane racing and impressive results from swimmers on both the girls’ and boys’ side, with tonight’s agenda expected to bring us even more fireworks.

In addition to a plethora of individual events, including the boys’ and girls’ 100m backstroke and 100m breaststroke, the session will be topped off by their respective medley relays.

GIRLS 200 IM – FINAL

World Junior Record: 2:06.56, Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2024
European Junior Record: 2:10.32, Amalie Smith (GBR), 2026
Championship Record: 2:12.41, Leah Schlosshan (GBR), 2023
2025 European Junior Champion: 2:12.62, Amalie Smith (GBR)

GOLD – Barbara Lesniewska (POL), 2:12.45
SILVER – Viktoriia Tarannikova (NA), 2:14.10
BRONZE – Anna Rzaeva (NA), 2:14.44

Nothing too crazy transpired in the final of the girls’ 200m IM but our winner, Barbara Lesniewska of Poland, did score the decisive victory.

16-year-old Lesniewska got to the wall in a time of 2:12.45, beating two Neutral Athletes by well over a second.

Viktoriia Tarannikova finished with the silver in 2:14.10, while teammate Anna Rzaeva rounded out the podium in 2:14.44.

Lesniewska’s effort marks a significant personal best, taking over the previous PB of 2:13.20 she registered at the Barcelona stop of this year’s Mare Nostrum Tour.

BOYS 100 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

World Junior Record: 52.08, Miron Lifintsev (RUS), 2024
European Junior Record: 52.08, Miron Lifintsev (RUS), 2024
Championship Record: 52.91, Ksawery Masiuk (POL), 2022
2025 European Junior Champion: John Shortt (IRL), 54.09

GOLD – Mikhail Shcherbakov (NA), 53.99
SILVER – Nathan Muratory (FRA), 54.00
BRONZE – Chrissander Cerda (FRA), 54.52

A swimming race doesn’t get any closer than this, as the top two boys’ 100m backstroke performers wound up being separated by just .01.

When the dust settled, it was Neutral Athlete Mikhail Shcherbakov who got the job done, reaching the wall in a solid outing of 53.99.

Frenchman and University of Michigan commit Nathan Muratory settled for silver after winning the 200m back earlier in the meet. Muratory touched in 54.00.

His teammate Chrissander Cerda also landed on the podium in 54.52, good enough for bronze.

Shcherbakov split 26.29/27.70 on his way to nabbing the 2nd-best time of his career and just the 2nd outing under the 54-second barrier. The Russian’s personal best remains at the 53.54 logged this past April.

As for Muratory, the 17-year-old has been as swift as 53.45 in his career from this past May, with tonight’s performance checking in as his #2 fastest.

The field was right around the same level as last year, with the 2025 winner, John Shortt of Ireland, nabbing gold in 54.09.

GIRLS 100 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

World Junior Record: 57.57, Regan Smith (USA), 2019
European Junior Record: 59.08, Anastasiya Shkurdai (BLR), 2020
Championship Record: 59.62, Polina Egorova (RUS), 2017
2025 European Junior Champion: Daria Silișteanu (ROU), 1:00.40

GOLD – Irene Ciercoles (ESP), 1:00.06
SILVER – Daria-Mariuca Silisteanu (ROU), 1:00.11
BRONZE – Jeanne Lechevalier (FRA), 1:00.35

The girls’ 100m backstroke was nearly as close, with winner Irene Ciercoles of Spain and runner-up Daria-Mariuca Silisteanu separated by only .05 in their battle to the wall.

France’s Jeanne Lechevalier rounded out the podium not far behind, clocking 1:00.35 for her nation.

In our day five medal table roundup, we highlighted the fact that Spain, who finished 3rd in the overall medal table at last year’s edition of this competition, was still seeking its first gold. And, 16-year-old Ciercoles made it happen tonight to help Spain’s position as we move through this final day of swimming.

She picked the right time to put up a personal best, with her gold medal-worthy 1:00.06 slicing .04 off her former PB of 1:00.10 from last month.

And Ciercoles denied Silisteanu the gold, after the Romanian won this event last year in 1:00.40 in addition to claiming silver at the 2025 World Junior Championships in 1:00.02, the former national record before the 17-year-old dropped it down to a super quick 59.63 this past April.

BOYS 100 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

World Junior Record: 58.67, Shin Ohashi (JPN), 2026
European Junior Record: 59.01, Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA), 2017
Championship Record: 59.23, Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA), 2017
2025 European Junior Champion: Filip Nowacki (GBR), 59.59

GOLD – Evangelos Efraim Ntoumas (GRE), 59.91
SILVER – Louis Hoffmann (GER), 1:00
BRONZE – Max Morgan (GBR), 1:00.41

Another nation earned its first gold medal of this competition, with Greece’s rising star Evangelos Efrain Ntoumas delivering the top spot in the boys’ 100m breaststroke.

Ntoumas upgraded his silver from last year to gold, stopping the clock at 59.91 as the sole swimmer in the field to delve into sub-minute territory.

Germany’s Louis Hoffman led the field out of the semi-finals, but dropped down one spot to still secure the silver this evening in 1:00.29, a new lifetime best by .35.

Max Morgan of Great Britain also landed on the podium in 1:00.41 for the bronze, repeating his same station from the 2025 World Junior Championships. There in Romania, Morgan turned in a time of 59.93.

BOYS 100 FREESTYLE – FINAL

World Junior Record: 46.86, David Popovici (ROU), 2022
European Junior Record: 46.86, David Popovici (ROU), 2022
Championship Record: 47.30, David Popovici (ROU), 2021
2025 European Junior Champion: 48.25, Luca Hoek (ESP)

GOLD – Luca Hoek (ESP), 48.18
SILVER – Egor Proshin (NA), 48.49
BRONZE – Tajus Juska (LTU), 48.67

The top three performers out of last night’s boys’ 100m freestyle semi-finals remained in the top tier, albeit in a different order once medals were on the line.

Spanish national record holder Luca Hoek gave his country its second gold of the evening, courtesy of the 48.18 he notched to top the podium in this thrilling event.

Neutral Athlete Egor Proshin had led the pack after last night but dipped down to the silver medal position in 48.49, .02 faster than yesterday’s 48.51 semi-final.

17-year-old Tajus Juska bagged the bronze in 48.67, just .10 outside what it took for the Lithuanian to earn the silver behind Hoek last year.

Going back to Spaniard Hoek, the teen represents the first-ever man from his nation to clear the 48-second barrier in this 1free event. While competing at the Spanish Open Championships last month, he set a lifetime best of 47.72 to nail the new national standard and make history.

GIRLS 100 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

World Junior Record: 1:04.35, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2013
European Junior Record: 1:04.35, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2013
Championship Record: 1:05.48, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2013
2025 European Junior Champion: Smiltė Plytnykaitė (LTU), 1:07.21

GOLD – Sofia Anufrieva (NA), 1:08.10
SILVER – Kay-Lyn Lohr (SUI), 1:08.88
BRONZE –Lucia Gregoria Martinez (ESP), 1:09.11

Ukraine earned the top two slots for tonight’s final of the girls’ 100m breaststroke, but Iryna Miliutina and teammate Yana Klikotska found themselves in the 6th and 8th positions in the medal-contending affair.

Elevating herself from 3rd seed to topping the podium was Neutral Athlete Sofia Anufrieva, clocking a time of 1:08.10.

That gave her a healthy advantage over Switzerland’s Kay-Lyn Lohr, who doubled up with her 200m breaststroke silver with another runner-up placement in this shorter event in 1:08.88.

Spain continued to carry momentum, with Lucia Gregoria Martinez earning the bronze in 1:09.11.