2025 LEN U23 European Championships: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2025 LEN U23 European Championships

• Thursday, June 26 – Saturday, June 28
• X-bionic® sphere Pool, Šamorín, Slovakia
• LCM (50m)
• Start Times – Local: Prelims – 9:30 am / Finals – 6:00 pm
• Start Times – EST: Prelims – 2:30 am / Finals – 11:00 am
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Livestream (Pay-To-Watch)
• Recaps: Day 1 Prelims

The first night of finals from the 2025 LEN U23 European Championships in Samorin, Slovakia, promises to be an exciting one with nine individual finals on tap to go along with the mixed 4×100 medley relay.

Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk headlined this morning’s prelims by claiming the top seed in two events, leading the women’s 100 fly (57.94) and 50 back (28.31). The 20-year-old owns the Belgian National Record in both events, having been 57.05 in the 100 fly and 27.81 in the 50 back, both done earlier this year.

The men’s 200 free will be a marquee race to watch with reigning Olympic champion and former world champion David Popovici in the field. The 20-year-old clocked 1:46.84 in this morning’s prelims, leading Bulgarian Petar Mitsin (1:46.99) and German teenager Jarno Baschnitt (1:47.38) into the final.

Popovici saw one of his National Records fall by the wayside this morning as well, with countryman Denis Popescu clocking 51.49 to lower Popovici’s previous Romanian mark of 52.30 set in April 2023.

You can find a full prelims recap here.

WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 29.16, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 2023
• European Record: 29.16, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 2023

1. Eneli Jefimova (EST), 30.03

Eneli Jefimova defended her top seed by claiming the first gold medal of the competition in the women’s 50 breaststroke, clocking 30.03 to come within two-tenths of the Estonian Record (29.83) she set in April.

That swim from two months ago ranks Jefimova #1 in the world this season.

Full results have yet to be uploaded.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 1:51.92, Aaron Peirsol (USA) – 2009
• European Record: 1:53.23, Evgeny Rylov (RUS) – 2021

1. Apostolos Siskos (GRE), 1:55.84
2. Oleksandr Zheltyakov (UKR), 1:57.34
3. Cameron Brooker (GBR), 1:58.45
4. Mathys Chouchaoui (FRA), 1:58.56
5. Alexandre Desangles (FRA), 1:58.94
6. Flavio Bucca (SUI), 1:59.20
7. Jack Skerry (GBR), 2:00.01
8. Alexandru Constantinescu (ROU), 2:01.23

Greece’s Apostolos Siskos used a strong back half to pull away from Oleksandr Zheltyakov and claim victory in the final of the men’s 200 back, clocking 1:55.84 for the fourth-fastest swim of his career.

Siskos, who turned 20 on Tuesday, turned in 56.20 at the 100 compared to Zheltyakov’s 56.47, but came home with closing splits of 29.99/29.65 to open up a 1.5-second gap on the Ukrainian.

The swim marks Siskos’ fourth time sub-1:56, having set a personal best of 1:54.66 at last month’s Greek Championships, which ranks him 2nd in the world this season.

Zheltyakov, 19, touched in 1:57.34 to earn silver, marking a new season-best time. He owns a PB of 1:55.39, set at last year’s European Championships where he won gold.

Great Britain’s Cameron Brooker held off a late charge from Frenchman Mathys Chouchaoui to win bronze in 1:58.45, a half-second shy of his PB of 1:57.94 set in 2023. Chouchaoui, who came home in 29.17, clocked 1:58.56 after leading the prelims in 1:58.70.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Record: 54.60, Gretchen Walsh (USA) – 2025
• European Record: 55.48, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 2016

1. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL), 57.10
2. Georgia Damasioti (GRE), 58.06
3. Lucy Grieve (GBR), 58.71
4. Wiktoria Piotrowska (POL), 58.86
5. Lana Pudar (BIH), 58.90
6. Julia Ullmann (SUI), 59.35
7. Elena Capretta (ITA), 59.80
8. Zuzanna Famulok (POL), 59.88

Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk picked up a decisive win in the final of the women’s 100 fly, powering to a time of 57.10 to narrowly miss her National Record and beat runner-up Georgia Damasioti by nearly a full second.

Vanotterdijk, 20, split 26.72/30.38 en route to the victory, falling just five one-hundredths of her Belgian Record of 57.05 set at the Swim Open Stockholm in April.

Damasioti, 21, pulled away from the rest of the field on the second 50 to win silver in 58.06, having set a lifetime best last month in 57.50.

Great Britain’s Lucy Grieve rounded out the podium in 58.71, with her personal best sitting at 58.09 set in April.

Former World Junior champion Lana Pudar, who has been as fast as 56.95 in her career, ended up 5th in 58.90.

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 1:42.00, Paul Biedermann (GER) – 2009
• European Record: 1:42.00, Paul Biedermann (GER) – 2009

1. David Popovici (ROU), 1:43.64
2. Petar Mitsin (BUL), 1:46.48
3. Charlie Hutchison (GBR), 1:46.84
4. Jarno Baschnitt (GER), 1:46.91
5. Evan Bailey (IRL), 1:47.45
6. Timo Sorgius (GER), 1:47.93
7. Antonio Djakovic (SUI), 1:48.34
8. Niko Jankovic (CRO), 1:49.00

David Popovici unleashed a monster swim in the final of the men’s 200 free, soaring to a world-leading time of 1:43.64.

The 20-year-old split 24.07/26.33/26.69/26.55 en route to the fourth swim of his career under 1:44, moving past American Luke Hobson (1:43.73) for the #1 spot in the 2024-25 world rankings.

Popovici’s personal best stands at 1:42.97 from 2022, while he also went 1:43.21 en route to winning the 2022 world title and logged 1:43.13 en route to winning last summer’s European title.

He also won Olympic gold in the 200 free last summer, clocking 1:44.53 in Paris.

Bulgarian Petar Mitsin, the World Junior Record holder in the 400 free, took silver in a time of 1:46.48, chipping two one-hundredths off his National Record of 1:46.50 set at the 2023 European Junior Championships.

Great Britain’s Charlie Hutchison emerged in a close battle for bronze with Germany’s Jarno Baschnitt, as Hutchison touched in 1:46.84 to mark his first time sub-1:47, lowering his previous best of 1:47.61 set at April’s Aquatics GB Championships.

Baschnitt made it four swimmers sub-1:47 in 1:46.91, knocking just under two-tenths off his old PB of 1:47.10 set in May.

WOMEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – TIMED FINAL

• World Record: 8:04.12, Katie Ledecky (USA) – 2025
• European Record: 8:14.10, Rebecca Adlington (GBR) – 2008

1. Maya Werner (GER), 8:29.53
2. Klaudia Tarasiewicz (POL), 8:33.93
3. Artemis Vasilaki (GRE), 8:34.35
4. Rebecca Diaconescu (ROU), 8:36.84
5. Francisca Martins (POR), 8:38.54
6. Marian Ploger (GER), 8:43.49
7. Sasha Gatt (MLT), 8:49.00
8. Deniz Ertan (TUR), 8:49.62

Germany’s Maya Werner grabbed the lead in the fastest heat of the women’s 800 free at the 300-meter turn and never looked back, rolling to a decisive victory in a time of 8:29.53.

The 20-year-old’s swim marks her first time under 8:30, lowering her previous best of 8:35.48 set in January 2024. At the German Championships in May, she didn’t race the 800 free, but did set new bests in the 200 free (1:58.81) and 400 free (4:06.04) for a pair of runner-up finishes.

Poland’s Klaudia Tarasiewicz overtook Greece’s Artemis Vasilaki down the stretch to snag silver in a time of 8:33.93, knocking nearly six seconds off her previous best, while Vasilaki picked up bronze in 8:34.35 to narrowly miss her PB of 8:34.13.

Romanian Rebecca Diaconescu, a rising sophomore at Michigan, placed 4th in 8:36.84 to lower her best time by over eight seconds (previously 8:45.07).

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

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

1. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL), 28.05
2. Adela Piskorska (POL), 28.23
3. Zoe Carlos-Broc (FRA), 28.35
4. Nika Sharafutdinova (UKR), 28.68
5. Rafaela Azevedo (POR), 28.70
6. Lora Komoroczy (HUN), 28.94
7. Niamh Ward (GBR), 28.97
8. Martina Biasioli (ITA), 29.22

Roos Vanotterdijk picked up her second win of the night in the women’s 50 back, touching 28.05 to lead the field by nearly two-tenths and come within 24 one-hundredths of the Belgian Record she set in April (27.81).

Poland’s Adela Piskorska won silver in 28.23, just shy of her season-best of 28.09 set just last week, while France’s Zoe Carlos-Broc claimed bronze in 28.35, just shy of her PB of 28.31 set last year.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

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

1. Luka Mladenovic (AUT), 26.72
2. Volodymyr Lisovets (UKR), 27.29
3. Dawid Wiekiera (POL), 27.58
4. Snorri Dagur Einarsson (ISL), 27.63
5. Rory Dickson (GBR), 27.80
6. Uros Zivanovic (SRB) / Maksym Ovchinnikov (UKR), 27.85
7. –
8. Jeremias Alexander Pock (GER), 28.07

Luka Mladenovic took down the Austrian Record en route to a big win in the final of the men’s 50 breaststroke, touching in 26.72 to earn a comfortable half-second-plus victory.

The 21-year-old clocked 26.72 to lower the three-year-old Austrian mark of 26.94, set by Bernard Reitshammer at the 2022 World Championships.

Mladenovic came into the meet with a lifetime best of 27.12, and lowered that to 27.07 in this morning’s prelims.

Ukrainian Volodymyr Lisovets won silver in 27.29, just over a tenth shy of his lifetime best of 27.18 set last year.

Poland’s Dawid Wiekiera knocked one one-hundredth off his personal best to claim the bronze medal in 27.58, while Iceland’s Snorri Dagur Einarsson improved his lifetime best by 16 one-hundredths for 4th in 27.63.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

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

1. Nikolett Padar (HUN) / Minna Abraham (HUN), 1:56.03
2. –
3. Justina Kozan (POL), 1:58.26
4. Iris Julia Berger (AUT), 1:58.40
5. Francisca Martins (POR), 1:58.66
6. Erin Little (GBR), 1:59.61
7. Megan Barnes (GBR), 1:59.77
8. Elisabeth Sabroe Ebbesen (DEN), 2:00.53

Hungarian teammates Nikolett Padar and Minna Abraham had an epic tie for gold in the final of the women’s 200 free, as Padar held the lead throughout the race before a big push on the last 50 from Abraham brought them in for matching times of 1:56.03.

Padar outsplit Abraham on each of the first three 50s, splitting 27.06/29.13/29.76 through the third turn for a 150 split of 1:25.95, while Abraham turned nearly half a second back in 1:26.44.

Coming home, Abraham made up all of the 49 one-hundredths she trailed by, closing in 29.59 to Padar’s 30.08 to result in the dead-heat for the title.

Padar’s swim lowers her personal best of 1:56.14 set at the 2024 Olympics, while Abraham shatters her previous PB of 1:57.22 set at last summer’s European Championships.

Justina Kozan, representing Poland for the first time, out-touched Austria’s Iris Julia Berger for bronze, clocking 1:58.26 to narrowly miss her personal best of 1:58.10 set back in 2021.

Berger’s time of 1:58.40 established a new Austrian Record, lowering the decade-old mark of 1:58.53 set by Lisa Zaiser while improving on her previous best of 1:58.95 set at the 2025 AP Race London International last month.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Record: 49.45, Caeleb Dressel (USA) – 2021
• European Record: 49.68, Kristof Milak (HUN) – 2021

1. Denis Popescu (ROU), 51.48
2. Diogo Ribeiro (POR), 51.73
3. Vili Sivec (CRO), 52.22
4. Adrian Jaskiewicz (POL), 52.28
5. Nicholas Finch (GBR), 52.54
6. Alexandre D’Agata (FRA), 52.65
7. Vlad-Stefan Mihalache (ROU), 52.67
8. Konstantinos Emmanouil Stamou (GRE), 52.95

Denis Popescu chipped one one-hundredth off his hours-old Romanian Record en route to winning gold in the men’s 100 fly, producing a time of 51.48.

In the prelims, Popescu clocked 51.49 to break David Popovici‘s National Record of 52.30 set in 2023.

Tonight, Popescu was much more aggressive on the first 50 (23.73) before extending his advantage over Portugal’s Diogo Ribeiro coming home (27.75) to win the title.

In the prelims, Popescu split 23.98/27.51 en route to setting the National Record.

Ribeiro, the reigning world champion in the 100 fly, touched in 51.73 for silver (23.86/27.87), having set a best time of 51.17 at last February’s World Championships in Doha.

Croatia’s Vili Sivec and Poland’s Adrian Jaskiewicz had near-identical splits on both 50s, as Sivec (24.42/27.80) claimed bronze in a time of 52.22 to chip three one-hundredths off his best time, while Jaskiewicz (24.43/27.85) touched in 52.28 for 4th. Jaskiewicz owns a best time of 51.70 from 2023.

WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

• World Record: 2:05.70, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2025
• European Record: 2:06.12, Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 2015

1. Ellie McCartney (IRL), 2:12.50
2. Bertille Cousson (FRA), 2:13.72
3. Tamara Potocka (SVK), 2:13.82
4. Clara Rybak-Andersen (DEN), 2:14.15
5. Giada Alzetta (ITA), 2:14.72
6. Eszter Szabo Feltothy (HUN), 2:15.38
7. Sudem Denizli (TUR), 2:15.73
8. Ieva Maluka (LAT), 2:16.05

Ireland’s Ellie McCartney used a dominant breaststroke leg to distance herself from the rest of the field en route to a big victory in the final of the women’s 200 IM.

The 20-year-old sat in 3rd place at the 100-meter mark, but split 37.41 on breast to overtake Bertille Cousson and Tamara Potocka before ultimately claiming gold in a time of 2:12.50, smashing her previous best of 2:14.09 set at the 2024 European Championships.

France’s Cousson and Slovakia’s Potocka were separated by just four one-hundredths at the 150 and the gap only increased to a tenth at the finish, with Cousson (2:13.72) having the advantage and taking silver while Potocka rounded out the podium with bronze (2:13.82). Cousson’s swim marked a new best by over a second (2:14.79 in May).

Denmark’s Clara Rybak-Andersen, who out-split McCartney with a 37.40 breast leg, sat in 2nd at the final turn before placing 4th in a personal best of 2:14.15.

MEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – TIMED FINAL

• World Record: 14:30.67, Bobby Finke (USA) – 2024
• European Record: 14:32.80, Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) – 2022

1. Sven Schwarz (GER), 14:38.96
2. Emile Vincent (FRA), 14:59.62
3. Filippo Bertoni (ITA), 15:10.31
4. Luca Karl (AUT), 15:17.70
5. Reece Brady (GBR), 15:24.75
6. Moritz Bockes (GER), 15:25.25
7. Dziugas Miskinis (LTU), 15:45.54
8. Julio Bernardon (SUI), 15:50.62

Germany’s Sven Schwarz was dominant in winning the men’s 1500 freestyle, roaring to a time of 14:38.96 to top runner-up Emile Vincent by more than 20 seconds.

Schwarz nearly even-split the race, turning in 7:18.80 at the 750 (7:48.22 at the 800) and then coming back in 7:20.16, to come just over two seconds shy of his lifetime best of 14:36.82 set in May, which ranks him 2nd in the world this year.

At the 2023 LEN U23 European Championships, Schwarz won silver in a time of 14:43.53.

Frenchman Vincent had a monstrous performance to win silver, knocking over 11 seconds off his best time to crack 15:00 for the first time in 14:59.62. Vincent set his previous best of 15:10.64 in late May at the Canet leg of the Mare Nostrum Tour.

Italian Filippo Bertoni also set a new lifetime best in winning bronze, improving from 15:14.02 in April to 15:10.31 tonight.

MIXED 4X100 MEDLEY RELAY – FINAL

• World Record: 3:37.43, United States – 2024
• European Record: 3:37.58, Great Britain – 2021

1. Poland, 3:48.25
2. Great Britain, 3:48.27
3. Greece, 3:48.54
4. Hungary, 3:50.19
5. Germany, 3:50.87
6. Switzerland, 3:51.71
7. Italy, 3:55.53
8. (DSQ) – France

A wild race in the mixed 4×100 medley relay ultimately resulted in a gold medal win for Poland, as anchor Zuzanna Famulok overtook Greece’s Anna Avgousta Vlachou and held off Great Britain’s Evelyn Davis to win the title.

Poland opted to use a female backstroker, using Adela Piskorska (1:01.52) on the lead-off leg, and then David Wiekiera (59.33) and Adrian Jaskiewicz (51.95) threw down some quickl legs on breast and fly to put them in the lead at the final exchange.

Famulok anchored in 55.45 as they held on for the title in 3:48.25, while Great Britain’s Davis closed in 55.02 to bring them within two one-hundredths of gold in 3:48.27.

Great Britain’s team also featured Matthew Ward (54.25), Rory Dickson (1:00.80) and Lucy Grieve (58.20) on back, breast and fly.

Greece also went with two men on the front in Apostolos Siskos (54.25) and Marios Theodoros Zafeiropoulos (1:01.06), and then they had Georgia Damasioti split 57.86 on fly, putting thme in 2nd at the final exchange before Vlachou split 55.37 on the free leg.

Hungary placed 4th in 3:50.19, with Adam Jaszo giving them the top backstroke leg in 54.19, while Germany was a close 5th in 3:50.87 with a strong anchor leg from Nina Holt.

France sat in 3rd at the halfway mark and were in 5th at the final exhcange, but were ultimately disqualified.