2025 European SC Championships: Day 6 Finals Live Recap

2025 EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• December 2-7, 2025
• Lublin, Poland
• SCM (25 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live 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 Finals Heat Sheet

Event Schedule

• Women’s 50m backstroke
• Men’s 50m backstroke
• Women’s 5om breaststroke
• Men’s 5om breaststroke
• Women’s 50m freestyle
• Men’s 50m freestyle
• Women’s 200m butterfly
• Men’s 200m butterfly
• Women’s 1500m freestyle
• Women’s 400 IM
• Men’s 400 IM
• Women’s 4x50m medley relay
• Men’s 4x50m medley relay

Na Razie! We are onto the last session of an action-packed week un Lublin. We have a bumper crop of finals tonight, with 13 sets of medals to be given out, and the Netherlands currently leading the medal standings.

We start fast and furious with six sprint 50s. New Championship Record holder Marritt Steenbergen is not in the women’s 50 back field, leaving it open for the likes of Sara Curtis and top seed Lauren Cox, who won the 100 back title earlier in the week.

Curtis will be back in the water just half an hour later as the second seed in the women’s 50 free final. Kasia Wasick is in lane four, but will need to be aware of World Junior Record holder Eva Okaro and the pair of Curtis and Beryl Gastaldello, who both set national records in the 100 free last night.

Ralf Tribuntsov and Eneli Jefimova would make this the most successful Championships ever for Estonia if they can bring home consecutive in the men’s 50 back and women’s 50 breast, respectively. They are each the top seed in their respective event, and set the latest in a series of national records in the semi-finals last night.

Long course World Champion Simone Cerasuolo is the man to beat in the men’s 50 breast, although watch out for World Record holder Emre Sakci in lane 5. Caspar Corbeau, the top seed coming into the meet, withdrew from the event with a respiratory illness. He looked in great form after a 24.78 split on the Netherlands mixed medley relay, the second-fastest in history.

Maxime Grousset is the top seed in the men’s 50 free, but the man with the fastest personal best is Croatia’s Jere Hribar after he led off the men’s and mixed 4×50 free relays in 20.70. Leonardo Deplano, Szebastian Szabo, and World Junior Record holder Nikita Sheremet have also broken 21 seconds so far in Lublin.

Ellen Walshe is the favorite in the women’s 200 fly, but will have to deal with a nasty 200 fly/400 IM double. Alberto Razzetti does exactly the same on the men’s side, and as European Record holder in the former and Championship Record holder in the latter, should not be counted out of a double podium.

He will have to go through Swiss maestro Noe Ponti and the Polish pairing of Krzysztof and Michal Chmielewski in the former, and newly-minted national record holders Jakub Bursa and Lucas Henveaux in the latter, where Max Litchfield also lurks dangerously. The Chmielewski twins have been separated by just 0.01 seconds in this event so far: a hundredth between them in prelims and then tying for 2nd in the semi-finals.

Walsh has European long course champion Helena Rosendahl Bach to contend with in the 200 fly, as well as the Spanish duo of Alba Vazquez and Emma Carrasco Cadens. Poland’s Justina Kozan could also be a threat if she is in touch with 100 to go, after she closed fastest of anyone this morning.

Simona Quadarella will be the favorite for the women’s 1500 free, and is on track for a third national record this week. She broke the Italian marks in the 400 free and 800 free, placing second in both behind Isabel Gose, but in the German’s absence should take her first title of the meet.

The Netherlands are the top seeds in the women’s 4×50 medley and have been dominant in the relays so far, while Germany were a slightly surprising fastest qualifier for the men this morning. Italy will be favorites to defend their title, but defending silver medalists Great Britain failed to make it through, leaving the podium open. Five of the finalists broke their national record in the event this morning, so with the field separated by just 0.70 seconds this could go anywhere.

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• WR: 25.23 – Regan Smith, USA (2024)
• WJR: 25.95 – Mizuki Hirai, JPN (2025)
• ER: 25.60 – Kira Toussaint/Maria Kameneva, HUN /RUS (2020/2022)
• EJR: 26.03 – Sara Curtis (ITA) – 2024
• CR: 25.64 – Marrit Steenbergen, NED (2025)

Top 8 Finishers;

1. Sara Curtis (ITA) – 25.49 *ER, CR*
2. Analia Pigree (FRA) – 25.96
3. Maike de Waard (NED) – 25.97
4. Lauren Cox (GBR) – 26.03
5. Tessa Giele (NED) – 26.19
6. Alice Velden (SWE) – 26.49
7. Louise Hansson (SWE) – 26.51
8. Lora Komoroczy (HUN) – 26.60

Sara Curits was out first to 15, flipping in 12.50 seconds to lead by two tenths at halfway. Top seed Lauren Cox appeared to get stuck on her breakout, and was back in 5th place.

Curtis only got stronger through the race, extending her lead to half a second by the end of the race. She roared home in 12.99 seconds, the fastest in the field, to log a new European, Championship, and Italian Record of 25.49. She now becomes the 7th-fastest swimmer in history.

France’s Analia Pigree moved up from 4th at the turn to finish 2nd in 25.96, a single hundredth ahead of Maike de Waard in 3rd.

Lauren Cox closed with the second-fastest back half in the field to just miss the podium in 26.3, but did break Georgia Davies’ British record by a tenth of a second.

MEN’s 50 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• WR: 22.11 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2022)
• WJR: 22.47  – Miron Lifintsev, RUS (2024)
• ER: 22.11 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2022)
• EJR: 22.47  – Miron Lifintsev, RUS (2024)
• CR: 22.47 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2021)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Ralf Tribuntsov (EST) – 22.68
2. Miroslav Knedla (CZE) – 22.69
3. Francesco Lazzari (ITA) – 22.76
4. Lorenzo Mora (ITA) – 22.82
5. Ollie Morgan (GBR) – 22.85
6. Robert Pedersen (DEN) – 22.94
7. Mewen Tomac (FRA) – 23.11
8. Lucien Vergnes (FRA) – 23.20

We saw a phenomenally close race in this final, with 0.17 seconds separating the first five swimmers. Ralf Tribuntsov, who trains alongside fellow Estonian record-holder Daniel Zaitsev under Toni Meijel, won his first major international medal in a time of 22.68, just off his Estonian record of 22.63 he swam this morning.

A single hundredth behind was Miroslav Knedla, who set his fourth individual Czech record of the meet. He now moves up to #19 all-time, and will be back in the pool later for the #2-ranked Czech men’s 4×50 medley team.

Franceso Lazzari, the top seed coming in, took bronze for his first international medal, just ahead of teammate and defending bronze medalist Lorenzo Mora.

Ollie Morgan gave us our second British record in two events this evening, slicing two tenths off his mark of 23.07 from last night. This was his 3rd individual record of the meet, in what is proving a breakout short course meet.

The final national record of the event came from Denmark’s Robert Pedersen, who clocked 22.94 to break 23 seconds for the first time. He set a new national standard in heats, semis and the final of this event.

Defending champion Mewen Tomac fell to 7th, but would have only moved up to 5th with his winning time from two years ago.

WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• WR: 28.37 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2022)
• WJR: 28.81 – Ruta Meilutyte/Benedetta Pilato, LTU/ITA (2014/2020)
• ER: 28.37 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2022)
• EJR: 28.81 – Ruta Meilutyte/Benedetta Pilato, LTU/ITA (2014/2020)
• CR: 28.86 – Benedetta Pilato, ITA (2023)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Eneli Jefimova (EST) – 28.81 *CR*
2. Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 29.22
3. Florine Gaspard (BEL) – 29.34
4. Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR)- 29.51
5. Sophie Hansson (SWE) – 29.58
6. Veera Kivirinta (FIN) – 29.59
7. Anna Elendt (GER) – 29.69
8. Dominika Sztandera (POL) – 29.82

Eneli Jefimova set her second 50 breast national record in 24 hours, and with it made this Estonia’s most successful Euro SC meet ever. Backing up compatriot Tribuntsov’s 50 back title just minutes ago, Estonia have won as many gold medals in the last ten minutes than they had in the previous 34 years.

She also cracked Benedetta Pilato‘s Championship Record from two years ago, where the Italian beat Jefimova for the title. World Record holder Ruta Meilutyte was 2nd in 29.22, nearly a second off her best, while Florine Gaspard was a hundredth off her national record as she won Belgium’s fifth medal of the week – matching their best-ever return from 2015.

The 2021 World Short Course Champion Anastasia Gorbenko was just off the podium in 29.51, with 200 breast champ Anna Elendt back in 7th in 29.69.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• WR: 24.95 – Emre Sakci, TUR (2021)
• WJR: 25.66 – Chris Smith, RSA (2024)
• ER: 24.95 – Emre Sakci, TUR (2021)
• EJR: 25.85 – Simone Cerasuolo, ITA (2021)
• CR: 25.25 – Ilya Shymanovich, BLR (2021)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Simone Cerasuolo (ITA) – 25.67
2. Emre Sakci (TUR) – 25.85
3. Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA) – 25.86
4. Koen de Groot (NED) – 26.01
5. Melvin Imoudu (GER) – 26.07
6. Jan Malte Grafe (GER) – 26.12
7. Jorgen Scheie Braathen (NOR) – 26.18
8. Carles Coll Marti (ESP) – 26.28

Simone Cerasuolo defended his top-seed billing from heats and semis to take the win here, marking his second major title of the year after winning gold at the long course World Championships this summer. He touched in 25.67 to take the touch ahead of countryman Nicolo Martinenghi and World Record holder Emre Sakci.

Sakci was best of the rest in 25.85, the slowest swim of the three rounds for him, while Martinenghi was just behind in 25.86, half a second off his best.

The World Junior Record holder in long course, Jan Malte Grafe, finished 6th in his first major senior international final.

Koen de Groot was just off his best in 26.01, while Norwegian Jorgen Scheie Braathen matched Nicholes Lia’s national record in a time of 26.18.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• WR: 22.83 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
• WJR: 23.66 – Eva Okaro, GBR (2024)
• ER: 22.93 – Ranomi Kromowidjojo, NED (2017)
• EJR: 23.66 – Eva Okaro, GBR (2024)
• CR: 23.12 – Sarah Sjostroem, SWE (2021)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Kasia Wasick (POL) – 23.20
2. Sara Curtis (ITA)/Beryl Gastaldello (FRA) – 23.41
3. –
4. Valerie van Roon (NED)/Silvia di Pietro (ITA) – 23.70
5. –
6. Milou van Wijk (NED) – 23.83
7. Eva Okaro (GBR) – 23.86
8. Jana Pavalic (CRO) – 23.87

At 33 years of age, Kasia Wasick won her first major international title in front of her home crowd. She led from wire-to-wire, hitting halfway in 11.17 before storming home to touch just a tenth off here Polish record, and get what is likely to be the biggest cheer of the night.

Sara Curtis backed up her 50 back gold just half an hour ago, tying with Beryl Gastaldello for silver in 23.41, a new lifetime best for both of them. Curtis was just 0.02 off Silvia di Pietro‘s Italian record from the 4×50 free relay leadoff on Day 1, whil Gastaldello sliced two-tenths off Melanie Henique’s 23.61 mark from 2020.

Valerie van Roon and Silvia di Pietro tied for 4th in 23.70, a new best for the Dutchwomen. World Junior Record holder Eva Okaro was 7th in 23.86, with Croatia’s Jana Pavalic a hundredth off her national record in 8th.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• WR: 19.90 – Jordan Crooks, CAY (2024)
• WJR: 20.84 – Nikita Sheremet, UKR (2025)
• ER: 20.18 – Ben Proud, GBR (2023)
• EJR: 20.84 – Nikita Sheremet, UKR (2025)
• CR: 20.18 – Ben Proud, GBR (2023)

Top 8 Finishers;

1. Jere Hribar (CRO) – 20.70
2. Maxime Grousset (FRA)/Nikita Sheremet (UKR) – 20.81 *WJ EJ*
3. –
4. Szebastian Szabo (HUN) – 20.86
5. Leonardo Deplano (ITA) 20.87
6. Luka Hoek le Guenedal (ESP) – 21.08
7. Heiko Gigler (AUT) – 21.10
8. Matej Dusa (SVK) – 21.13

Maxime Grousset was one of fiveswimmers out in under 10 seconds as he flipped equal with Heiko Gigler in 9.94, but seemed to get stuck slightly on the wall in the middle of the pool. Szebastian Szabo, a notoriously fast starter and the silver medalist from two years ago, was out first in 9.92.

However it was the man in lane 3 who came off the wall strongest, and eked out a slim advantage in the final meters. Jere Hribar, a Junior at LSU, has been on fire over the last 12 months, and took home the biggest piece of hardware in that period with his last swim of the year.

Hribar won silver behind Grousset in the 100 free last night, notching a new Croatian record of 45.64, and matched the Croatian record in the 50 free here tonight. That was shared between himself and 2009 European champ Duje Draganja, and is his third 20.70 swim of the meet (4×50 free men’s relay leadoff, 4×50 mixed free leadoff).

Nikita Sheremet has been making the transition to yards look easy in his first couple of months at Louisville, and displayed his short course sprint prowess here to shave 0.03 seconds from his World Junior Record in 20.81. He set the former mark of 20.84 leading off Ukraine’s 4×50 free relay on Day 1, and tied for silver with Maxime Grousset tonight for his first major senior international medal.

Early leader Szabo touched just behind in 20.86, with Leonardo Deplano a hundredth behind in 20.87. Luke Hoek le Guenedal matched his Spanish record in 6th, clocking 21.08, while Austria’s Heiko Gigler and Slovakia’s Matej Dusa were each a tenth off the national standards they set in the semi-finals.

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• WR: 1:59.32 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• WJR: 1:59.32 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• ER: 1:59.61 –Mireia Belmonte, ESP (2014)
• EJR: 2:04.55 – Lana Pudar, BIH (2023)
• CR: 2:01.52 – Mireia Belmonte, ESP (2013)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Ellen Walshe (IRL) – 2:03.24
2. Helena Rosendahl Bach (DEN) – 2:03.55
3. Anita Gastaldelli (ITA) – 2:04.07
4. Laura Lahtinen (FIN) – 2:04.04
5. Emily Richards (GBR) – 2:04.62
6. Laura Cabaznes Garzas (ESP) – 2:06.10
7. Georgia Damasioti (GRE) – 2:06.62
8. Paola Borrelli (ITA) – 2:08.68

Ellen Walshe claimed Ireland’s third title of the week, and became the first Irish woman to win gold at the European Short Course Championships.

The fastest swimmer in the field coming into these championships, Walshe looked well off the pace throughout the first 100. She touched in 6th place at halfway in 1:00.02, but moved up to 5th over the next 50 meters. She scorched home in 31.44 on the final 50 to come alongside and then pull away from Helena Rosendahl Bach and take the win in 2:03.24, 0.33 seconds off her Irish record.

Laura Lahtinen had been the early leader as she touched in 58.44 at the 100 mark, but faded over the second half of the race to finish 4th in 2:04.40. The two other swimmers who turned under 59 seconds at halfway came back slightly stronger, and both broke their respective national record.

Helena Bach defended her silver medal from 2023 in a new Danish mark of 2:03.55, while Italy’s Anita Gastaldelli shaved 0.13 seconds off Ilaria Bianchi’s Italian mark in 2:04.07. That is the second Italian record of the evening after Sara Curtis‘ 50 back at the start of the session.

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• WR: 1:46.85 – Tomoru Honda, JPN (2022)
• WJR: 1:49.61 – Chen Juner, CHN (2022)
• ER: 1:48.64 – Alberto Razzeti, ITA (2024)
• EJR: 1:51.84 – Krzysztof Chmielewski, POL (2021)
• CR: 1:49.00 – Laszlo Cseh, HUN (2015)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Noe Ponti (SUI) – 1:50.17
2. Krzysztof Chmielewski (POL) – 1:50.24
3. Michal Chmielewski (POL) – 1:50.30
4. Kregor Zirk (EST) – 1:50.55
5. Richard Marton (HUN) – 1:50.83
6. Alberto Razzetti (ITA) – 1:50.85
7. Miguel Martinez Novoa (ESP) – 1:52.31
8. Arbidel Gonzalez Alvarez (ESP) – 1:52.44

Race.Of. The. Meet.

There was almost a four-way tie going into the final turn of this race, and with Noe Ponti going out hard then being hunted down by the hometown duo of Michal and Krzysztof Chmielewski, it had a bit of everything.

Ponti was out more than half a second ahead of the field after the first 50, touching in 23.84, but was only three tenths ahead of Krzysztof Chmielewski at the halfway point, 52.03 to 52.34. Kregor Zirk (52.78) and Alberto Razzetti (52.81) also turned under 53 seconds, with Zirk hunting the fourth medal which would make this Estonia’s most decorated European short course meet after they won double gold earlier tonight.

The field narrowed over the next quarter of the race, just 0.59 seconds separating five swimmers at 150 meters. Ponti had lost the lead by this point, touching 0.15 seconds behind K. Chmielewski and just 0.06 seconds ahead of European Record holder Alberto Razzetti, who was on the first half of a tough 200 fly/400 IM double.

Those three, along with a charging M. Chmielewski, were separated by just 0.19 seconds at the final turn, with Zirk another two tenths behind. Ponti delivered his trademark final underwater, but did not give himself the same separation over the field as normal.

The touch was almost impossible to call in the final meters, but Ponti held on to defend his 2023 European SC title, ahead of the two Polish swimmers. Krzysztof won the battle between the two brothers by just 0.06 seconds, and through all three rounds only 0.07 seconds have separated them – 0.01 in prelims, dead even last night in semis and then 0.06 tonight.

Kregor Zirk didn’t quite manage to hit his finish to touch just off both the podium and his Estonian Record of 1:50.39, but this was his best-ever finish at a major international meet. Richard Marton of Hungary, always just on the outside of the race going on in the central lanes, closed fastest of anyone on the final 50 to take 5th in 1:50.83 with Razzetti in 6th in 1:50.85 – just 0.68 seconds off 1st.

WOMEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE– FINAL

• WR: 15:08.24 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2022)
• WJR: 15:42.05 – Katie Grimes, USA (2022)
• ER: 15:18.01 – Sarah Koehler, GER (2019)
• EJR: 15:42.14 – Ksenia Misharina, RUS (2025)
• CR: 15:18.30 – Anastasia Kirpichnikova, FRA (2020)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Simona Quadarella (ITA) – 15:29.93
2. Maya Werner (GER) – 15:47.00
3. Ajna Kesely (HUN) – 15:51.73
4. Artemis Vasilaki (GRE) – 15:51.78
5. Maria de Valdes Alvarez (ESP) – 15:52.28
6. Angela Martinez Guillen (ESP) – 15:55.29
7. Marta Hieke van der Kamp (NED) – 17:06.45
8. Bea Hovda (NOR) – 16:07.59

Simona Quadarella absolutely dominated this event out of lane 4, swimming her way to gold in a time of 15:29.93 to just miss her Italian record of 15:29.74 from 2021.

She led by three seconds at the 200 mark, and was six seconds ahead of second place after 400 meters. At halfway she had extended her lead to more than ten seconds, and was in a race of her own. Her 800 split of 8:13.54 would have won bronze in the individual 800.

Maya Werner delivered some heavy outside smoke from lane 1, taking silver in 15:47.00. She made this final out of an unseeded heat in prelims yesterday, and has now been on two podiums at this meet after winning 800 free bronze earlier this week.

There was a fantastic four-way battle for 3rd between Ajna Kesely, Artemis Vasilaki, Maria Alvaraz and Angela Guillen, but it was the first three who were involved in a sprint finish over the final 50. It was the Hungarian swimmer Kesely who held on to take bronze, defending her position from Otopeni two years ago.

Vasilaki shattered her Greek record by ten seconds in 4th, just 0.05 seconds behind in 15:51,78 after closing in 29.36, while Alvarez was the fastest Spaniard in 15:52.28.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• WR: 4:15.48 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• WJR: 4:15.48 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• ER: 4:18.94– Mireia Belmonte, ESP (2017)
• EJR: 4:31.06 – Record Mark
• CR: 4:19.46 – Mireia Belmonte, ESP (2015)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Justina Kozan (POL) – 4:28.56
2. Alba Vazquez Ruiz (ESP) – 4:29.57
3. Emma Carrasco Cadens (ESP) – 4:31.27
4. Noelle Benkler (GER) – 4:35.05
5. Clara Rybak-Andersen (DEN) – 4:36.28
6. Eszter Szabo-Feltothy (HUN) – 4:37.60
7. Ellen Walshe (IRL) – 4:38.51
8. Katja Fain (SLO) – 4:38.59

This race was all Emma Carrasco Cadens for the first 300 meters, but the Spaniard’s early pace came back to bite her as she struggled home on the freestyle, overhauled by teammate Alba Vazquez Ruiz and eventual winner Justina Kozan.

Carrasco had led from the 50m mark, stretching her advantage with every length. She was over three seconds clear of Ruiz with just the freestyle leg to go, and nearly five ahead of Kozan.

Kozan looked incredibly strong on the freestyle, as we are accustomed to seeing from her, and was just over a second down on the leader with 50 to go. She erased that deficit on the next 25 meters, outsplitting Carrasco by two seconds on that length alone before storming home to take the win by a second over Ruiz in a new Polish record of 4:28.56.

Kozan closed in 59.39, by far the fastest in the field. Carrasco, by contrast, was 1:06.79.

Ruiz took the silver in 4:29.57, with Carrasco holding on for bronze in 4:31.27. German junior swimmer Noelle Benkler, the European Junior silver medalist in the event, was 4th in 4:35.05.

Ellen Walshe showed just how hard the 200 fly/400 IM double can be, placing 7th in 4:38.51. Her best time from earlier this fall is 4:22.97.

MEN’S 400 IM – FINAL

• WR: 3:54.81 – Daiya Seto, JPN (2019)
• WJR: 3:56.47 – Ilia Borodin, RSF (2021)
• ER: 3:56.47 – Ilia Borodin, RSF (2021)
• EJR: 3:56.47 – Ilia Borodin, RSF (2021)
• CR: 3:57.01 – Alberto Razzetti, ITA (2023)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Alberto Razzetti (ITA) – 3:58.79
2. Max Litchfield (GBR) – 4:03.25
3. Cedric Buessing (GER) – 4:03.51
4. Lucas Henveaux (BEL) – 4:03.89
5. Thomas Jansen (NED) – 4:05.13
6. Diego Mira Albaladejo (ESP) – 4:05.51
7. Jakub Bursa (CZE) – 4:05.75
8. Zalan Sarkany (HUN) – 4:06.30

Alberto Razzetti led wire-to-wire in this race, rebounding from his 6th place finish in the 200 fly to take a dominant win in the 400 IM and defend his European short course title. He touched in 3:58.79, the only swimmer under 4:00 and nearly five seconds clear of the silver medalist.

Max Litchfield was that swimmer, moving up from 6th after the fly to be 2nd at halfway, and never gave up that position. Cedric Buessing, Diego Albaladejo, Thomas Jansen and Lucas Henveaux were locked in a battle for 3rd place behind him, after the Spanish swimmer fell back to the field on the breaststroke leg after touching in 1:57.04 to be 3rd at halfway.

Henveaux had the fastest closing split of those swimmers in 55.69, but it was not enough for him to get onto the podium. He did crack his Belgian record from prelims by more than a second, marking his 3rd record in the event in the last two months. He has taken the record doewn by over six seconds this fall from 4:10.28 to 4:03.89.

Litchfield held on for bronze in 4:03.25, just off his season best of 4:02.87, with Buessing winning a second medal for Germany in three events after Maya Werner’s women’s 1500 free silver. He touched in 4:03.51 for a new best time, and thanks to PFA in the comments for pointing out that he is the second non-D1 U.S.-based swimmer to medal at the European Short Course Championships.

Top seed Jakub Bursa was a second off his best from prelims, touching in 4:05.75, which was his second-fastest swim ever. The 800 free champ Zalan Sarkany was 8th in 4:06.30, 0.68 seconds faster than his swim this morning.

WOMEN’S 4×50 MEDLEY– FINAL

• WR: 1:42.35 – Australia (2021)
• ER: 1:42.38 – Sweden (2021)
• EJR: 1:49.62 – Russian Federation (2021)
• CR: 1:42.69 – Netherlands (2009)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Netherlands – 1:42.83
2. Sweden – 1:43.79
3. Italy – 1:44.33
4. Poland – 1:44.55
5. Germany – 1:44.71
6. Hungary – 1:45.41
7. Great Britain – 1:45.72
8. Norway – 1:47.12

Marrit Steenbergen went out like a rocket on the backstroke for the Netherlands, and set her second Championship Record of the day as she touched in 25.47. She got a pair of extra records this time, breaking Kira Toussaint‘s Dutch record of 25.60 and Sara Curtis‘ two-hour-old European Record of 25.49.

Tessa Giele kept the Dutch in front thanks to a 29.76 split on breaststroke, but Sophie Hansson and Dominika Sztandera clawed time back on her thanks to splits of 29.31 and 29.18 respectively. Norway’s Frida Loebersli had the second-fastest split of the field in 29.25. Sweden taking silver over a very talented Italian team, by half-a-second, without their superstar Sarah Sjostrom (out on maternity leave) is a boon for a country that has been wont for young talent in recent years.

Maike de Waard (24.42) outsplit Silvia di Pietro (24.67) and Sara Junevik (24.52) to hand over to Valerie van Roon in the lead, and she brought them home in 23.18 to touch just off the Championship Record in 1:42.83.

Sweden were 2nd in 1:43.79, with Sara Curtis surviving a slightly dicey -0.02 takeover to win bronze for Italy. Poland kept up their relay finals streak, placing 4th in a new national record of 1:44.55.

Germany and Hungary also set a national record in 5th and 6th, while Great Britain were just 0.07 seconds off theirs in 1:45.72.

MEN’S 4×50 MEDLEY – FINAL

• WR: 1:29.72– Italy (2024)
• ER: 1:29.72– Italy (2024)
• EJR: 1:37.23 – Poland (2021)
• CR: 1:30.14 – Italy (2021)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Italy – 1:30.49
2. France – 1:30.99
3. Spain – 1:31.84
4. Austria – 1:31.85
5. Czechia – 1:31.93
6. Switzerland – 1:31.98
7. Germany – 1:32.46
8. Denmark – DSQ

Miroslav Knedla, fresh from a silver medal in the individual 50 back, was the fastest of the opening legs in 22.85, with Mewen Tomac the only swimmer to join him under 23 seconds as he clocked 22.98.

Individual bronze medalist Francesco Lazzari was 23.05 for Italy, but they were soon in the lead thanks to individual 50 breast champion Simone Cerasuolo. He split 25.42 to give the Italians the lead at halfway in 48.47, four tenths ahead of Denmark.

It was on the fly leg that the broke away from the field though, with Simone Stefani splitting 21.52 to give them a 0.75 second buffer over Switzerland, who got a 21.35 split from Noe Ponti. Leonardo Deplano then brought them home in 20.50 as they touched in 1:30.49, just off their Championship record from 2021.

Behind the leaders, the freestyle leg was a bloodbath. From France in 3rd to Spain in 8th there was just 0.53 seconds, and we saw five splits under 21 seconds.

Maxime Grousset anchored in 19.96 for the French, which appears to be the first sub-20 split since the ‘unofficial World Record-setting’ French 4×50 free relay back in 2009, where Amaury Leveaux (19.93) and Fred Bousquet (19.87) broke that barrier.

Spain won a razor-thin battle for third, Sergio de Celis Montalben showing out with a 20.28 anchor leg to out-touch Austria’s Heiko Gigler by a hundredth, 1:31.84 to 1:31.85. Gigler split 20.35, his second 20.3 split of the day after going 20.34 in prelims.

Hugo Gonzalez was in an unfamiliar position as the fly swimmer for Spain, splitting 22.60 as they touched in 8th heading into the final leg.

Czechia were 5th in 1:31.93, 0.05 seconds ahead of Switzerland, as all four teams were separated by just 0.13 seconds. What’s more, all four broke their national record with their swim tonight.

France also cracked their record, which had featured a 20.04 split from Florent Manaudou, meaning over half the final set new national standards. That would have been six, but Demark were disqualifed for an early takeoff from Anchor Frederik Moller after initially going 1:32.00