2025 EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- December 2-7, 2025
- Lublin, Poland
- SCM (25 meters)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Recaps:
MEN’S 200 BACK – Final
- WR: 1:45.12 – Hubert Kos (HUN), 2025
WJR: 1:48.02 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2017- ER: 1:45.12 – Hubert Kos (HUN), 2025
EJR: 1:48.02 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2017CR: 1:48.02 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2017
Top 8
- John Shortt (IRL) – 1:47.89 ***World Junior, European Junior, Championship Record***
- Mewen Tomac (FRA) – 1:48.62
- Jan Cejka (CZE) – 1:49.43
- Luke Greenbank (GBR) – 1:49.48
- Lorenzo Mora (ITA) – 1:49.74
- Apostolos Siskos (GRE) – 1:50.26
- Benedek Kovacs (HUN) – 1:51.38
- Ivan Martinez Sota (ESP) – 1:51.58
Jan Cejka set his second Czech record in two days tonight, as he dropped 0.34 seconds from his best to eke out a bronze medal over defending silver medalist Luke Greenbank. This was his first major senior medal, and marks the high point of a fantastic year for the Pardubice-based swimmer.
He was out slower than his 2021 best, but kept his next three 50s within 0.06 seconds as he came home six-tenths faster. He was out faster than his semi-final swim yesterday, but closed slightly slower on the final 50 albeit with a healthy buffer over his record pace.
Split Comparison
| 2021 World Short Course Championships, Doha | 2025 European Short Course Championships Semi-final, Lublin | 2025 European Short Course Championships Final, Lublin | |
| 50 | 25.39 | 25.94 | 25.78 |
| 100 | 53.58 (28.19) | 54.35 (28.41) | 53.67 (27.89) |
| 150 | 1:22.00 (28.42) | 1:22.26 (27.91) | 1:21.52 (27.85) |
| 200 | 1:49.93 (27.93) | 1:49.77 (27.51) | 1:49.43 (27.91) |
Cejka placed 8th at the World Short Course Championships last year after qualifying 3rd into the final. He progressed through the rounds far better here, dropping time from heats to semi-finals, then again in the final tonight. His swim of 1:49.77 in the semi-finals was also a Czech Record.
He was the European Junior Champion in this event all the way back in 2019, clocking a LCM time of 1:57.51 to take the win over Mewen Tomac, who finished just ahead of him tonight. He went on to win the 50 back at the World Junior Championships later that summer, beating out 100 back World Record holder Thomas Ceccon to go 25.08.
However, since setting a short course 200 back best of 1:49.93, as he finished 5th at the World Short Course Championships in 2021, Cejka had not managed to come close to his bests in either long or short course since. Prior to the Singapore World Championships his long course best still stood at the 1:57.51 he swam back in 2019.
He dropped to 1:55.37 to place 6th this summer, one of several breakouts we saw in the men’s 200 back, and has now shown the same form in short course. He will be a podium favorite for the long course European Championships this summer.
He now ranks 7th in the world this season.
2025-2026 SCM Men 200 BACK
KOS
WR 1:45.12
| 2 | Thomas CECCON | ITA | 1:47.49 | 10/23 |
| 3 | Leon MARCHAND | FRA | 1:47.68 | 10/10 |
| 4 | John SHORTT | IRL | WJR 1:47.89 | 12/03 |
| 5 | Cameron Brooker | GBR | 1:48.36 | 12/11 |
| 6 | Mewen TOMAC | FRA | 1:48.62 | 12/03 |
| 7 | Luke GREENBANK | GBR | 1:48.91 | 12/11 |
| 8 | Pavel Samusenko | RUS | 1:49.01 | 12/20 |
| 9 | Jan CEJKA | CZE | 1:49.43 | 12/03 |
| 10 | Lorenzo MORA | ITA | 1:49.74 | 12/03 |
He was not the only swimmer to break a national record in the men’s 200 back final. We have already reported on Jon Shortt‘s Irish and World Junior Record as he took the win, and Apostolos Siskos broke Apostolos Christou‘s Greek record by half a second to place 6th in 1:50.26. That marks the second Greek Record of the day after Dimitrios Markos shaved 0.07 seconds off the 200 free standard this morning.
