2026 Bergen Swim Festival: Day 1 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)
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview
• Entries
• Live Results
• Livestream

Night one of the 2026 Bergen Swim Festival kicks off tonight from the Alexander Dale Oen Arena in Bergen, Norway.

For several American swimmers, the meet serves as mid-season preparation, whether that’s tuning up for the Pan Pacific Championships or getting some racing in ahead of Summer Nationals. Across Europe, it draws a mix of established internationals and rising names, and carries added selection weight for nations such as Germany, which will use results from a series of meets this month to determine their European Championships roster.

The field isn’t particularly deep, but there are two or three high-caliber international threats in nearly every event, and Van Mathias wasted no time making noise, scorching a 58.98 in the 100 breast heats to move to eighth all-time among Americans.

Tonight’s session features the men’s 800 freestyle, women’s 200 freestyle, men’s 200 butterfly, women’s 50 backstroke, women’s 1500 freestyle, men’s 100 breaststroke, women’s 200 breaststroke, men’s 200 backstroke, women’s 400 IM, men’s 100 freestyle, and women’s 50 butterfly.

Stay tuned for live updates.

Men’s 800m Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 7:32.12 – Lin Zhang (CHN), 2009
• European Record: 7:37.94 – Johannes Liebmann (GER), 2026

GOLD – Henrik Christiansen (Norway), 7:59.74
SILVER – Victor Sandrup (Sweden), 8:06.45
BRONZE – Tobias Moen Olsen (Norway), 8:11.33

Tonight’s session didn’t exactly begin with a close race, as Norway’s Henrik Christiansen dominated the men’s 800 free by nearly seven seconds.

Christiansen touched in 7:59.74, with Sweden’s Victor Sandrup (8:06.45) a few body lengths back, followed by Norway’s Robian Moen Olsen (8:11.33) about the same distance behind.

Christiansen’s personal best and national record remains the 7:41.28 he put up at the 2019 World Championships, while Sandrup sliced just over two seconds off his former best of 8:08.54 from last week’s Malsten Swim Open Stockholm. Moen Olsen’s PB is the 8:08.50 he swam to win the 2025 edition of this competition.

Women’s 200m Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 1:52.23 – Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 2024
• European Record: 1:52.98 – Federica Pellegrini (ITA), 2009

GOLD – Siobhan Haughey (Hong Kong), 1:54.31
SILVER – Anna Peplowski (United States), 1:55.82
BRONZE – Sofia Astedt (Sweden), 1:59.67

The women’s 200 free was all about Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey and American Anna Peplowski. Haughey led from start to finish, but couldn’t shake Peplowski until the final 50.

Haughey opened in 27.06 and 29.04 to hit the 100 in 56.04, with Peplowski right behind at 27.17/29.05 for a 56.22 split. Haughey made her move on the third 50, splitting 29.16 to Peplowski’s 29.65 to open a half-second lead at the final turn (1:25.26 to 1:25.87), before closing in 29.05 to Peplowski’s 29.95 to take the win in 1:54.31.

Peplowski touched second in 1:55.82, with Sweden’s Sofia Astedt a clear third in 1:59.67, the only other swimmer to crack two minutes.

Haughey’s time moves her to third in the world this season and sits within striking distance of her 1:53.92 Asian Record from the Tokyo Olympics.

Peplowski’s 1:55.82 is just over a tenth shy of her 1:55.70 best from last summer’s U.S. World Championship Trials, and notably only her third time under 1:57 at an in-season meet, bettering her previous fastest-ever in-season time of 1:56.88.

She now sits 10th in the world standings.

Astedt, meanwhile, was just half a second off the 1:59.16 career best she posted at last week’s Malsten Swim Open Stockholm.

Men’s 200m Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak (HUN), 2022
• European Record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak (HUN), 2022

GOLD – Dare Rose (United States), 1:55.64
SILVER – Kregor Zirk (Estonia) – 1:56.99
BRONZE – Mikkel Henne Myklatun (Norway), 2:05.92

American Dare Rose led the men’s 200 fly from start to finish, splitting 25.50/28.84/30.03/31.27 to win in 1:55.64, over a second clear of Estonia’s Kregor Zirk (1:56.99), who trailed by 1.3 seconds at the halfway point and finished in roughly the same position at the wall.

Norway’s Mikkel Henne Myklatun (2:05.92) was a distant third, over two seconds clear of the rest of the field.

Rose’s time narrowly missed his personal best of 1:55.25 from the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, but checks in as his second-fastest swim ever, and chops a few tenths off his season best of 1:55.88 from the Stockholm Open.

Zirk’s swim was a half second quicker than his 1:57.49 from Stockholm, though his career best remains the 1:54.22 he produced in the Paris Olympics semifinals before going on to finish seventh in the final.

Myklatun’s time appears to be a personal best by a few tenths.

Women’s 50m Backstroke – Final

• World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2023
• European Record: 27.10 – Kira Toussaint (NED), 2021

GOLD – Marrit Steenbergen (Netherlands), 27.75
SILVER – Hanna Rosvall (Sweden), 28.41
BRONZE – Fanny Teijonsalo (Finland), 28.56

The Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen commanded the women’s 50m back from start to finish, winning with the sole sub-28 performance of the day at 27.75.

In an exciting battle for second, Sweden’s Hanna Rosvall (28.41) out-touched Finland’s Fanny Teijonsalo (28.56), finishing a quarter of a second ahead of the rest of the field.

Steenbergen’s time sits just over a tenth off her lifetime best of 27.62 from last month’s Giant Open, which ranks her as the #9 performer so far this season.

Rosvall’s swim marks a new season best and puts her just five one-hundredths outside her lifetime best from the 2024 Stockholm Open.

Teijonsalo’s personal best remains the 27.85 she swam in the heats of the 2025 World Championships, before going on to place 16th overall.

Women’s 1500m Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky (USA), 2018
• European Record: 15:31.79 – Simona Quadarella (ITA), 2025

GOLD – Wilma Hultberg Kullberg (Iceland), 17:27.81
SILVER – Lilja Hirsikko (Finland), 17:36.85
BRONZE – Saga Linnosaari (Finland), 17:56.85

Much like the men’s 800 that started the session, the women’s 1500 free was a fairly clear-cut race.

Iceland’s Wilma Hultberg Kullberg (17:27.81) finished over nine seconds ahead of Finland’s Lilja Hirsikko (17:36.85) after leading from the very first stroke. Hirsikko’s countrywoman Saga Linnosaari (17:56.85) held off a hard-charging Celina Olsen of Norway (17:56.98) over the final 50 meters to claim the final podium position.

Those swimmers were the only others to break 18:00.

Hultberg entered with a best time of 17:59.67, while Hirsikko dropped a second, Linnosaari sliced nearly two seconds, and Olsen nearly 27 seconds off their entry times.

Men’s 100m Breaststroke – Final

• World Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty (GBR), 2019
• European Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty (GBR), 2019

GOLD – Van Mathias (United States), 58.19
SILVER – Brian Benzing (United States), 1:00.25
BRONZE – Luke Barr (United States), 1:00.32

It was fairly obvious after this morning’s prelims that the men’s 100 breast would revolve around American Van Mathias, who dropped half a second off his PB to go 58.98 and lead the field by nearly two seconds. What wasn’t known, however, was that he had another near full second drop in the tank.

Mathias clocked 58.19 in the final, splitting 26.99/31.20 to utterly dominate the field, post a world-leading time, and move him to fifth-fastest performer in history.

Additionally, he was just five hundredths off Michael Andrew’s American Record of 58.14 from the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Top American Men’s LCM 100 Breast Performers All-Time:

1. Michael Andrew — 58.14 (2021)
2. Van Mathias — 58.19 (2026)
3. Nic Fink — 58.36 (2023)
4. Kevin Cordes — 58.64 (2017)
5. Andrew Wilson — 58.74 (2021)

His prelim swim had ranked seventh on the all-time American performers’ list and 38th on the all-time world performers’ list, but this swim alone has rocketed him near the top of those rankings and absolutely places him in the conversation for international titles.

It was an American sweep, with Brian Benzing (1:00.25) and Luke Barr (1:00.32) rounding the podium.

Benzing was just nine hundredths off the 1:00.16 best time he produced at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, while Barr bettered his previous best of 1:00.54 from December’s U.S. Open.

Women’s 200m Breaststroke – Final

• World Record: 2:17.55 – Evgeniia Chikunova (RUS), 2023
• European Record: 2:17.55 – Evgeniia Chikunova (RUS), 2023

GOLD – Olivia Klint Ipsa (Sweden), 2:30.43
SILVER – Elsa Bergh (Sweden), 2:31.47
BRONZE – Felin Benoni (Norway), 2:32.56

Staying with the theme of the night, Sweden’sOlivia Klint Ipsa led the women’s 200m breast from the start, touching first in 2:30.43 ahead of countrywoman Elsa Bergh (2:31.47), who held second the entire way, and Norway’s Felin Benoni (2:32.56).

Klint Ipsa was well shy of her 2:26.20 best time from the 2023 U23 Championships, though she did eclipse her season best by over two seconds. Bergh, on the other hand, sliced five-hundredths off her best time from last week’s Stockholm Open. Benoni dropped about three seconds off her career best.

Men’s 200m Backstroke – Final

• World Record: 1:51.92 – Aaron Peirsol (USA), 2009
• European Record: 1:53.19 – Hubert Kos (HUN), 2025

GOLD – Lukas Maertens (Germany), 1:55.85
SILVER – Michal Judickij (Czechia), 2:01.95
BRONZE – Oskar Erkiev (Norway), 2:02.711

Germany’s Lukas Maertens put on a clinic in the men’s 200m back, winning by about six seconds. He touched in 1:55.85, with Czechia’s Michal Judickij (2:01.95) taking second and Norway’s Oskar Erkiev (2:02.71) rounding out the podium.

Maertens’ time sliced 0.12 off his best of 1:55.97 from the Paris Olympics, as well as 0.02 off Jan-Philip Glania’s 2012 German Record of 1:55.87.

His swim is a strong sign for the middle-distance free events to come, as the reigning Olympic and world champion—and current world record holder in the 400 free—is known to post his fastest times of the year in April.

He now sits seventh in this season’s world rankings.

Judickij took down his previous best by just over a second, while Erkiev narrowly missed his 2:02.37 PB from the Stockholm Open.

Women’s 400m IM – Final

• World Record: 4:24.38 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2024
• European Record: 4:26.36 – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2016

GOLD – Manon Domingeon (France), 4:56.01
SILVER – Maelle Large (France), 5:00.37
BRONZE – Lina Nielsen (Sweden), 5:06.43

The French made their presence known for the first time this evening in the women’s 400m IM, as Maon Domingeon and Maelle Large went 1–2 ahead of Sweden’s Lina Nielsen.

Domingeon clocked the sole sub-5:00 performance of the day, swimming 4:56.01 to lead from start to finish with splits of 1:05.00/1:14.16/1:28.41/1:08.04 by 100. Large touched in 5:00.37, more than six seconds ahead of Nielsen (5:06.43).

Domingeon’s time was a season best and about five seconds shy of her 4:51.99 lifetime best from the 2024 Championnats de France Elite.

Large cut  six seconds off her season best; her PB remains the 4:53.96 she swam at the 2024 Swiss Open.

Nielsen was just over a second off her 5:05.19 best time from the Stockholm Open.

Men’s 100m Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 46.40 – Pan Zhanle (CHN), 2024
• European Record: 46.51 – David Popovici (ROU), 2025

GOLD – Matt King (United States), 47.77
SILVER – Josha Salchow (Germany), 48.49
BRONZE – Robin Hanson (Sweden), 48.82

Mathias’ training partner Matt King continued the IU pro group momentum in the men’s 100m free final.

King blasted out to an early lead, splitting 22.74 at the halfway mark before roaring home in 25.03 to touch in 47.77, winning by nearly three-quarters of a second over Germany’s Josha Salchow (48.49), who was second throughout.

Sweden’s Robin Hanson (48.82) was fourth at the halfway mark but used a strong final 25m to clear the rest of the field by nearly half a second for bronze.

2024 Olympic 4×100 free relay champion King’s time marks a new lifetime best, taking down his nearly three-year-old standard of 47.93 from the 2023 U.S. World Championship Trials.

King now ranks eighth in the world this season.

After missing the 2025 U.S. World Championship team, this marks a strong rebound swim for the 24-year-old, who re-inserts himself into the increasingly deep 4×100 free relay conversation. Jack Alexy remains a class above the domestic field with his 46.81 PB, but several are clustered in the 47-mid range, including Chris Guiliano (47.25), Patrick Sammon (47.47), Brooks Curry (47.51), and Destin Lasco (47.58), all in strong form.

Salchow’s time was a season best, however his PB remains 47.80 from the Paris Olympics.

Hanson’s personal (and season) best stands at 48.42 from the Stockholm Open.

Women’s 50m Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 24.43 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2014
• European Record: 24.43 – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2014

GOLD – Sara Junevik (Sweden), 26.02
SILVER – Louise Hansson (Sweden), 26.32
BRONZE – Barbora Janickova (Czechia), 26.48

Sweden’s Sara Junevik powered her way to a decisive win in the women’s 50m fly over teammate Louise Hansson (26.32), with Czechia’s Barbora Janickova settling for third.

Junevik and Hansson both went 25.99 at last week’s Stockholm Open, ranking them as co-14th fastest swimmers in the world so far this season. Both have been faster in their careers; Junevik owns a PB of 25.59 from the 2025 World Championships, while Hansson has been as quick as 25.84 from the 2021 Stockholm Open.

As for Janickova, her time tonight sliced more than a second off her previous best of 27.07, set at the Slovakia Grand Prix nearly five years ago.