2026 ACROPOLIS SWIM OPEN
- Friday, May 8th – Sunday, May 10th
- Athens, Greece
- LCM (50m)
- Live Results
The 2026 Acropolis Swim Open kicked off yesterday from Athens, and day one brought about a big-time national record at the hands of 20-year-old Apostolos Siskos.
Racing in the final of the men’s 200m backstroke, Siskos fired off a lifetime best of 1:54.12 to grab the gold, beating the field by well over five seconds en route to topping the podium.
Lithuanian Dominik Grudinskij represented the next-fastest swimmer, getting to the wall in 1:59.85 as the only other sub-2:00 swimmer in the field.
Ioannis Petrakis rounded out the podium in 2:01.23.
As for Siskos, his powerful 1:54.12 hacked over half a second off his own previous Greek Record of 1:54.66, a time he produced at the 2025 Greek Championships.
While his front half was nearly identical, 56.02 last year to 56.03 in last night’s performance, Siskos saved some fuel on the final 50m, dipping under 29 seconds on the surge to the wall.
Split Comparison
| Siskos’ New 1:54.12 Greek Record | Siskos’ Old 1:54.66 Greek Record |
| 26.76 | 27.04 |
| 29.27 (56.03) | 28.98 (56.02) |
| 29.35 | 29.42 |
| 28.74 | 29.22 |
Siskos now ranks #1 in the world on the season, dethroning Olympic champion Hubert Kos of Hungary.
2025-2026 LCM Men 200 BACK
SISKOS
1:54.12
| 2 | Hubert Kos | HUN | 1:54.21 | 12/06 |
| 3 | Pieter Coetze | RSA | 1:55.26 | 04/18 |
| 4 | Lee Juho | KOR | 1:55.34 | 12/16 |
| 5 | Roman MITYUKOV | SUI | 1:55.36 | 04/11 |
The Greek swimmer’s time would have won gold at the 2024 Olympic Games, beating Kos’ effort of 1:54.26. He would have been the bronze medalist at the 2025 World Championships. Additionally, Siskos’ 1:54.12 checks him in as the 11th-best performer of all time in the 200m back event.
You can view the race video here.
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This event has really picked up some depth recently.
Hope that WR goes, hopefully before LA
It’s about time!
Tbh the lack of depth in this event was always overdramatized. People were crying about a 1:54.1 winning in Fukuoka, but nobody had a problem with Marchand’s winning time of 1:52.3 in the 200 fly, which was of similar relatĂve strength, or Richards’s 1:44.3, which was weaker.
People forget that Peirsol’s 1:51.9 is basically a 1:52, which skews perception.
I still think 1:52.3 200 fly > 1:54.1 200 back. The whole 200 back podium went 1:53 at 2012 and 2016 Olympics, while 1:52.3 could win every 200 fly World and Olympic title between 2011 and 2017.
Also, when Marchand went 1:52.3 in Fukuoka, only Milak and Phelps had ever been faster. 8 people had been faster than 1:54.1 in 200 back at that point.
The thing is men’s 200 back hasn’t progressed enough since the suit was banned, compared with 200 fly and other events.
The short axis 200s progressed, the long axis ones didn’t, and it’s still the case. I’d like to see an analysis on why that could be.
In any case, the 200 free is still in a similar boat. Popovici’s 1:43.5 last year was relatively weaker than 1/2 in the 200 back, and outside that 1:43.2 that won in 2022 1:44s have been enough to win it in the last decade. And nobody is whining about it.
Uhhh we’ve all been whining about it endlessly? For like a decade?
It’s exciting to see. Having strong competitors in it should push the times faster. Hope we can see that WR broken in the near future.
Wow, and he’s only 20.
battle for the 200 back podium? Kos, Siskos, Coetze
Ndoye-Bruard in contention too after a great Worlds last summer. Nice to see the 200 back get more competitive again
Don’t forget the other Greek Apostalos (Christou) who won silver in the 200 back in Paris.
28.74 last 50 is a fast one.