2024 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Monday, June 17th – Sunday, June 23th
- Belgrade, Serbia
- Prelims: 9:30 am local time/Finals: 6:30 pm local time
- LCM (50 meters)
- Psych Sheets
- Men’s Storylines
- Women’s Storylines
- Live Results
- Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
- Day 5 Prelims Live Recap | Day 5 Finals Live Recap
- Day 6 Prelims Live Recap | Day 6 Finals Live Recap
- Day 7 Prelims Live Recap | Day 7 Finals Live Recap
- Day 7 Finals Heat Sheet
MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – FINAL
- World Record: 51.60 – Thomas Ceccon, Italy (2022)
- European Record: 51.60 – Thomas Ceccon, Italy (2022)
- Championship Record: 52.11 – Camille LaCourt, France (2010)
- Apostolos Christou (GRE) – 52.23
- Evangelos Makrygiannis (GRE) – 52.83
- Ksawery Masiuk (POL) – 53.56
- Oleksandr Zheltiakov (UKR) – 53.85
- Kacper Stokowski (POL) – 53.90
- Adam Jaszo (HUN) – 54.56
- Matthew Ward (GBR) – 54.93
- Michael Laitarovsky (ISR) – 55.23
Apostolos Christou of Greece posted the #3 time in the World so far this season in the men’s 100 backstroke, clocking a 52.23 to win the European Title.
Christou holds a lifetime best of a 52.09 that he swam in semifinals at the 2022 World Championships to hold the time top into finals. He ended up finishing 5th in finals, clocking a 52.57. Christou notably swam a 52.24 at the 2022 European Championships, about two months after 2022 Worlds.
Since then, Christou has missed semifinals in the event at the 2023 World Championships as he swam a 54.01 for 19th. This past February, he captured his first Worlds medal swimming a 53.36 for bronze.
Split Comparison:
| 2024 Euros | 2022 Worlds | |
| 50 | 25.39 | 25.26 |
| 100 | 26.84 | 26.83 |
| 52.23 | 52.09 |
Christou’s time from today sits only behind Xu Jiayu from China and Ryan Murphy of the US this season. Christou’s previous season best of a 53.17 from Greek Nationals last month sat at #19 in the World this season.
2023-2024 LCM Men 100 Back
XU
52.05
| 2 | Ryan MURPHY | USA | 52.22 | 06/17 |
| 3 | Apostolos CHRISTOU | GRE | 52.23 | 06/23 |
| 4 | Thomas CECCON | ITA | 52.27 | 10/08 |
| 5 | Miron Lifinstsev | RUS | 52.34 WJR | 04/15 |
It’s crazy to think that if Australia’s best 100M backstroker was Greek, he would only be third and not get an Olympic opportunity.
An Olympic medal for Greece in swimming would be cool, when was the last time that happened?
The first time was in 1896. Then nothing… until 2016. Spyridon Gianniotis won an Open Water silver medal there. Since the 1896 swimming races were also in the open water, it would technically be the first Olympic medal in the pool for Greece.
Kristian Gkolomeev almost did in 21′.
Five legitimate contenders for the medals right now with Murphy, Xu, Ceccon, Christou, and Armstrong all in 52-low territory (from 2023 to present). Perhaps we might have even more at Paris. Whoever manages to swim 51-high in the final will probably win it.
If you include the Russians you have 7 guys that have been 52.0 or better in the past Olympic quad
Obviously those two are not gonna be in Paris but the overall depth in the world of the 100 backstroke is crazy right now. If you seeded a heat sheet with all the times from the past Olympic quad a 52.2 might not even be in the top 8.
Why is 200 so weak compared to 100?
I wonder if Xu Jiayu will take 200 seriously this time.
Like you said, 200 is so weak that I think Xu might be able to medal.
Guy has no endurance and probably won’t sacrifice his performance in the much more important relays for a possible medal in the 200 Back
Ok we are SO back
I don’t know what he did after the 2022 European Championships but glad he’s figured it out again
100 Back at Olympics gonna be closer that we thought 👀