2026 European Junior Championships: Day Five 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
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4

We have a stacked series of finals and semi-finals to fill our schedule on the penultimate night of racing at the 2026 European Junior Championships.

The girls’ 100m freestyle will be a battle from start to finish, with four competitors having dipped under the 55-second barrier during last night’s session. Top contenders include Neutral Athlete Kseniia Sorokina, Germany’s dynamic Linda Roth and Italy’s Alessandra Mao, who is only 15 years of age.

Semi-finals of the boys’ 100m freestyle are also on tonight’s agenda, featuring Spanish national record holder Luca Hoek.

Hoek topped the boys’ 100m freestyle heats, producing a morning outing of 49.11 to hold a slight advantage over a pair of Neutral Athletes.

Matvei Miliaev is next in line at 49.20, with teammate Egor Proshin rounding out the top tier in 49.43.

Lithuania’s Tajus Juska is also in the mix, courtesy of his morning swim of 49.43. Juska was the silver medalist in this race last year and is also the reigning World Junior Championships bronze medalist.

Add in the boys’ and girls’ 800m freestyle final, semi-finals in the 100m back and breast, along with the boys’ 4x200m free relay and tonight’s affair qualifies as must-see action.

BOYS 800 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 7:43.37, Lorenzo Galossi (ITA), 2022
• European Junior Record: 7:43.37, Lorenzo Galossi (ITA), 2022
• Championship Record: 7:46.01, Kuzey Tuncelli (TUR), 2025
• 2025 European Junior Champion: 7:46.01, Kuzey Tuncelli (TUR)

GOLD – Grigorii Vekovishchev (NA), 7:52.31
SILVER – Mikolaj Litoborski (POL), 7:53.36
BRONZE – Maksim Gusev (NA), 7:54.37

The boys’ 800m freestyle kicked things off this evening, with a pair of Russians, competing as Neutral Athletes, getting onto the podium.

Grigorii Vekovishchev was the top performer, hitting a time of 7:52.31 to grab the gold. This was an improvement in medal standing from last year when he snagged the silver, although his 2025 time was slightly quicker at 7:51.49.

Vekovishchev also nabbed hardware in this event at the 2025 World Junior Championships, where his time of 7:50.04 garnered him the bronze.

Tonight, teammate Maxim Gusev reaped the bronze in 7:54.37, with Poland’s Mikolaj Litoborski splitting the pair in 7:53.36, good enough for silver.

GIRLS 200 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 2:03.03, Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2024
• European Junior Record: 2:06.26, Lana Pudar (BIH), 2023
• Championship Record: 2:08.41, Anastasiia Markova (RUS), 2021
• 2025 European Junior Champion: 2:09.75 Sarah Dumont (BEL)

GOLD – Vivien Jackl (HUN), 2:09.42
SILVER – Serafima Fokina (NA), 2:10.06
BRONZE – Boroka Kertesz (HUN), 2:10.87

As with our first event, this girls’ 200m fly also saw two swimmers from the same country get to the wall fast enough to collect medals.

17-year-old Vivien Jackl proved too quick to catch, stopping the clock at a swift 2:09.42 as the sole athlete in the field to dip under the 2:10 barrier.

Neutral Athlete Serafima Fokina was next to the wall in 2:10.06, holding a healthy advantage over Jackl’s countrywoman Boroka Kertesz, who rounded out the podium in 2:10.87.

Jackl’s performance here checks in as a new lifetime best for the once-Shane Tusup-trained rising star. Entering this competition, Jackl’s PB rested at the 2:10.36 from earlier this season, so she cleared the 2:10 barrier for the first time in her career.

Fokina is carrying momentum from a silver medal-worthy performance in the girls’ 100m butterfly sprint and is also the reigning European Junior Championships bronze medalist in this longer race. She owns a PB of 2:07.67 from scoring bronze in the 200m fly at last year’s World Junior Championships as well.

Although Jackl’s hardware arsenal includes multiple European Junior Championships medals in the 400m IM and distance freestyle events, the Hungarian just earned her first elite international podium in this 2fly.

BOYS 100 FREESTYLE – SEMI-FINALS

• 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)

Top 8:

1. Egor Proshin (NA), 48.51
2. Luca Hoek (ESP), 48.76
3. Tajus Juska (LTU), 48.81
4. Matvei Miliaev (NA), 48.95
5. Ludvig Bartolek (SWE), 49.03
6. Aran Bissett (GBR), 49.16
7. Cristian Tassan-Caser (ITA), 49.48
8. Harry Milne (GBR) 49.56

As expected, the semi-finals of the boys’ 100m freestyle picked up the speed from this morning’s heats, with the top four performers this evening going under the 49-second threshold

Neutral Athlete Egor Proshin led the way, producing a quick 48.51 to land lane four for tomorrow night’s main event.

18-year-old Proshin just logged a new lifetime best en route to beating his competitors, with his 48.51 slicing .18 off his previous PB of 48.69 from earlier this season. He’s only been under the 49-second benchmark three times, including tonight.

Spanish national record holder Luca Hoek has the opportunity to defend his 2025 European Junior Championsips title in this event, posting 48.76 as the #2 performer out of the semi-finals.

The teen represents the first-ever man from Spain 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.

Reigning World Junior Championships bronze medalist Tajus Juska of Lithuania also put his hat in the ring with a solid performance of 48.81, followed by Matvei Miliaev, who turned in 48.95 for the Neutral Athletes.

Juska snagged silver in this event last year in 48.57 behind winner Hoek. He’s looking to exact revenge from being shut out of the 100m fly final despite having won the event last year in Slovakia.

GIRLS 100 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 52.49, Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS), 2022
• European Junior Record: 53.61, Freya Anderson (GBR), 2018
• Championship Record: 53.97, Marrit Steenbergen (NED), 2015
• 2025 European Junior Champion: 54.17, Albane Cachot (FRA)

GOLD – Alessandra Mao (ITA), 54.28
SILVER – Kira Manokhina (NA), 54.37
BRONZE – Emma Wood (GBR), 54.61

Wow, wow, wow.

Alessandra Mao of Italy is only 15 years of age, but she just awed spectators with a massive outing to win this women’s 100m freestyle.

Mao crushed a monster lifetime best of 54.28 to grab the gold, successfully fending off a charging Neutral Athlete, Kira Manokhina.

Manokhina settled for silver just .09 behind in 54.37, with Great Britain’s Emma Wood hanging on for bronze in 54.61.

Spanish speedster Irene Ciercoles (54.68), Germany’s ace Linda Roth (54.74) and top-seeded NA athlete Kseniia Sorokina (54.92) were all denied medals in this tightly-packed contest.

Entering this competition, Mao’s career-quickest time sat at the 54.84 produced for 6th place in this event at the 2025 World Junior Championships.

Tonight, splitting 26.51/27.77, Mao just became the 7th-fastest Italian woman in history. She also overtakes the Italian Age Record formerly owned by Olympic icon Federica Pellegrini.

While Manokhina’s time tonight was slightly off her PB of 54.18 from last month, 18-year-old Wood of GBR dropped significant time off her previous career-swiftest swim of 54.92. That time was notched at this year’s Aquatics GB Championships. Wood now bumps herself up the all-time British rankings to share slot #13, ironically with Olympic finalist Abbie Wood.

BOYS 100 BACKSTROKE – SEMI-FINALS

• 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

Top 8:

1. Mikhail Shcherbakov (NA), 54.30
2. Nathan Muratory (FRA), 55.06
3. Chrissander Cerda (FRA), 55.10
4. Dean Fearn (GBR), 55.28
5. Maksim Kurbanov (NA), 55.39
6. Nikolaos Papatheodorou (GRE), 55.42
7. Gabriele di Scola (ITA), 55.47
8. Mateusz Bienkowski (POL), 55.49

France’s 200m backstroke champion here, Nathan Muratory, entered tonight’s 100m backstroke semi-finals as the top contender, clocking 54.60 this morning. That was over a second off his PB of 53.45 from a domestic meet earlier this season.

However, the 17-year-old University of Michigan commit added some time to check in with a semi-final swim of 55.06, dropping down to the #2 seed.

Nailing the top spot was Neutral Athlete Mikhail Shcherbakov.

18-year-old Shcherbakov improved upon his 55.20 morning swim to establish himself as the man to beat with a rapid result of 54.30. The teen owns a lifetime best of 53.54 from April of this year, so look for him to activate another gear during tomorrow night’s medal-contesting event potentially.

Muratory’s teammate Chrissander Cerda captured the 3rd seed, with Great Britain’s Dean Fearn lurking as the 4th-seeded swimmer in 55.28. Fearn is scheduled to also take on the 50m butterfly semi-finals later in this session.

GIRLS 100 BREASTSTROKE – SEMI-FINALS

• 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

Top 8:

1. Iryna Miliutina (UKR), 1:08.81
2. Yana Klikotska (UKR), 1:08.89
3. Sofia Anufrieva (NA), 1:09.20
4. Lucia Gregoria Martinez (ESP), 1:09.21
5. Imogen Myles (GBR), 1:09.60
6. Alisa Belaya (BLR), 1:09.52
7. Kay-Lyn Lohr (SUI), 1:09.71
8. Gabrielle Beavers (GBR), 1:09.76

The top eight girls’ 100m breaststrokers were revealed, with those moving on to tomorrow night’s final separated by less than a second.

Ukraine earned the top two spots, with Iryna Miliutina and teammate Yana Klikotska producing the sole times of the field under the 1:09 barrier.

Miliutina posted 1:08.81 to secure the pole position, while Klikotska touched a fingernail behind in 1:08.89.

Neutral Athlete Sofia Anufrieva is also in the mix, courtesy of her time of 1:09.20, which garnered her the 3rd seed, although she was faster in the morning in 1:08.92.

Additional swimmers on which to keep an eye in tomorrow night’s final are Great Britain’s Imogen Myles (1:09.60) and Switzerland’s Kay-Lyn Lohr (1:09.71). Both landed on the 200m breast podium during yesterday’s final, with the former becoming this year’s champion and the latter finishing with the silver in that event.

BOYS 100 BREASTSTROKE – SEMI-FINALS

• 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

Top 8:

1. Louis Hoffmann (GER), 1:00.64
2. Evangelos Efraim Ntoumas (GRE), 1:00.88
3. Max Morgan (GBR), 1:00.95
4. Mark Teler (ISR), 1:01.17
5. Gabriele Garzia (ITA), 1:01.31
6. Matei-Cristian State (ROU), 1:01.50
7. Doruk Yogurtcuoglu (TUR), 1:01.85
8. Aleksi Grabko (NA), 1:01.97

Greek ace Evangelos Efraim Ntoumas already earned silver in the boys’ 200m breast last night and the 18-year-old Stanford commit is hunting more hardware in the 100m breast race.

He delivered a time of 1:01.08 to earn the top spot out of the morning heats and lowered that down to 1:00.88 to snag the 2nd seed from this evening’s semi-finals.

Germany’s Louis Hoffmann, however, had other plans, busting out a new lifetime best of 1:00.64 to lead the pack. Hoffmann’s performance sliced .10 off the 1:00.74 established this past April.

Great Britain will be represented by Max Morgan in tomorrow night’s final, with the 18-year-old World Junior Championships bronze medalist nabbing a time of 1:00.95.

Ntoumas scored silver in this event last year in Slovakia.

Italy’s Gabriele Garzia lurks as the 5th seed as a follow-up to his bronze behind Ntoumas in last night’s 200m breast.

GIRLS 50 BUTTERFLY – SEMI-FINALS

• World Junior Record: 25.11, Rikako Ikee (JPN), 2018
• European Junior Record: 25.56, Anastasiya Shkurdai (BLR), 2021
• Championship Record: 26.10, Lana Pudar (BIH), 2023
• 2025 European Junior Champion: Flawia Kamzol (POL), 26.17

Top 8:

1. Andreanne Bourseul (FRA), 26.03
2. Carlota Rodriguez (ESP), 26.35
3. Jinth Engelse (NED), 26.49
4. Lara Vandenhirtz (GER), 26.56
5. Emmy Haellkvist (SWE), 26.80
6. Yara Fay Riefstahl (GER), 26.86
7. Serafima Fokina (NA), 26.99
8. Caterina Santambrogio (ITA), 27.02
9. Emily-Parli Jaarats (EST), 27.03

We saw our first Championship Record bite the dust, as France’s Andreanne Bourseul busted out a big-time swim to top the girls’ 50m butterfly semi-finals.

18-year-old Bourseul surged to the wall first in a spicy mark of 26.03. That erased the former meet standard of 26.10 Bosnian & Herzegovinian Olympian Lana Pudar put on the books three years ago and is also quicker than the 26.17 it took Poland’s Flawia Kamzol to top the podium last year.

Bourseul’s outing also checks in as a shiny new lifetime best, overtaking the 26.24 she established just last month.

With every swim, she’s rapidly approaching the French Age Record of 25.89 belonging to Olympian and World Championships medalist Melanie Henique.

Spanish athlete Carlota Rodriguez maintained her runner-up spot, lowering her seed time of 26.63 down to a speedy 26.35, a new personal best. It actually now checks in as a Spanish Senior National Record, surpassing the longstanding standard of 26.57 Lidon Munoz put up in 2019.

The Netherlands’ Jinth Engelse was also impressive, getting to the wall in 26.49, just .13 outside her lifetime best of 26.36 from just a week ago.

BOYS 50 BUTTERFLY – SEMI-FINALS

• World Junior Record: 22.96, Diogo Ribeiro (POR), 2022
• European Junior Record: 22.96, Diogo Ribeiro (POR), 2022
• Championship Record: Dean Fern (GBR), 23.29, 2025
• 2025 European Junior Champion: Dean Fern (GBR), 23.29

Top 8:

1. Jan Foltyn (CZE), 23.37
2. Dean Fearn (GBR), 23.51
3. David Antal (HUN), 23.73
4. Nemanja Maksic (SRB), 23.74
5. Christos Ioannis Diamantis (GRE), 23.82 & Chrissander Cerda (FRA), 23.82
6. –
7. Larus Theil (GER), 23.86
8. Artsiom Yarmak (BLR), 23.87

It was another hard-fought battle to the wall to make the top eight in this men’s 50m butterfly, an event in which the finalists all sit within just half a second of one another.

18-year-old Jan Foltyn of Czechia delivered an impressive time of 23.37 to capture the top spot, a new personal best by .18.

Foltyn already won the 50m freestyle at this competition, and he’s rapidly approaching the Czech national record in this sprint as well. That benchmark stands at the 23.23 Daniel Gracík notched in 2024.

Following up his 100m backstroke race earlier in this session, 18-year-old Dean Fearn of Great Britain secured the #2 seed in 23.51. Fearn won this event both at the European Junior Championships (23.29) and at the World Junior Championships. (23.54), so look for him to put up an even quicker result tomorrow night in pursuit of gold.

He’s also getting within striking distance of the British Age Record for 18-year-olds, a time of 23.10 retired Olympic medalist Ben Proud established in 2013.

Hungarian David Antal clocked 23.73, just .01 ahead of Serbia’s Nemanja Maksic, who hit 23.74 for the 4th seed.

GIRLS 200 IM – SEMI-FINALS

• 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: Amalie Smith (GBR), 2:12.62

Top 8:

1. Barbara Lesniewska (POL), 2:14.45
2. Anna Rzaeva (NA), 2:15.50
3. Viktoriia Tarannikova (NA), 2:15.77
4. Evi Mackie (GBR), 2:15.85
5. Laura Sophie Kohlmann (GER), 2:16.25
6. Maria Santana (ESP), 2:16.81
7. Tess Tinker (FRA), 2:16.93
8. Mira Helget (GER), 2:17.48

Nothing too crazy transpired in the semi-finals of the girls’ 200m IM.

Poland’s Barbara Lesniewska elevated herself from 2nd seed out of the heats to now the pole position, producing a swim of 2:14.45.

She sits just over a second outside the lifetime best of 2:13.20 she registered at the Barcelona stop of this year’s Mare Nostrum Tour.

Neutral Athlete Anna Rzaeva notched another career-best, turning in a time of 2:15.50 as the 2nd seed.

Evi Mackie of Great Britain blew away her PB, scoring 2:15.85. That bested her morning effort of 2:16.53, a mark which already destroyed her former lifetime best of 2:17.65 from the 2025 Aquatics GB Championships.

GIRLS 100 BACKSTROKE – SEMI-FINALS

• 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

Top 8:

GIRLS 800 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 8:07.39, Katie Ledecky (USA), 2015
• European Junior Record: 8:21.91, Merve Tuncel (TUR), 2021
• Championship Record: 8:21.91, Merve Tuncel (TUR), 2021
• 2025 European Junior Champion: Sofia Diakova (NA), 8:27.78

GOLD – 
SILVER – 
BRONZE – 

BOYS 4×200 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 7:08.37, USA, 2019
• European Junior Record: 7:10.39, Russia, 2025
• Championship Record: 7:12.15, Italy, 2024
• 2025 European Junior Champion: France, 7:15.99

GOLD – 
SILVER – 
BRONZE –