Amalie Smith Sets Another British IM Age Group Record; Breaks O’Connors 2011 Mark

2025 European Junior Championships

• Tuesday, July 1 – Sunday, July
• X-bionic® sphere Pool, Šamorín, Slovakia
• LCM (50m)
• Start Times – Local: Prelims – 9:30 am / Finals – 6:00 pm
• Start Times – EST: Prelims – 3:30 am / Finals – 12:00 pm
• SwimSwam Preview
• Meet Central
• Entries (by event)
• Entries (by country)
• Live European Aquatics Results
• Livestream (Pay-To-Watch)
• 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 | Day 6

Amalie Smith completed the IM sweep on the final day of the European Junior Championships in Samorin tonight, adding a second 15-year-old British record in the process. She overtook Siobhan Marie O’Connor’s mark of 2:13.26, set in the semi-finals of the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai, with her winning time of 2:12.62. She was just 0.21 seconds away from the Championship record, set by compatriot Leah Schlosshan in 2023.

Smith came into these championships with a lifetime best of 2:14.37, set at the 25th CMC Euro Meet back in February, and had lowered that significantly in the semi-finals to go 2:13.15. She took off another half second tonight, storming home in 30.83 to take the win by just over a tenth of a second over German Noelle Benkler.

The record that Smith broke tonight had lasted for 14 years. O’Connor is one of Britain’s best ever female medley swimmers, owning the British record of 2:06.88 from her legendary duel with Katinka Hosszu at the 2016 Olympics, where she finished just three-tenths of a second behind the Hungarian.

Smith was out much slower tonight than O’Connor was in setting her record, hitting the halfway mark in 1:03.08 to 1:01.61,nearly a second and a half slower. However, she turned on the jets in the second half, splitting 38.71 compared to O’Connor’s 39.43 and then throwing down a fantastic 30.83 to finish off, 1.43 seconds faster than the 32.22 O’Connor closed in.

Smith had already set a new British age group record in the 400 IM on Day 1 in Slovakia, and has made significant strides this season in both events. She has hacked 12 seconds off in the 400 this year as well as more than five in the 200, and checks in as the 15th fastest British swimmer all-time in the 200 IM with this swim.