Dean Fearn Breaks Championship Record In 50 Fly To keep Team GB Rolling In Samorin

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
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• Entries (by event)
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• 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

Dean Fearn rocketed to a new lifetime best of 23.29 to take gold in the 50 fly on Day 6 of the European Junior Champinships, breaking a myriad of records as he did so. He broke the Championship Record of 23.41 that had been set by Spanish Swimmer Teo dell Riego just last year, and in addition broke the British 17-year-old and Scottish records, both of which had stood at the 23.45 he swam in the semi-finals last night.

Fearn had a tough double tonight, swimming the 100 backstroke final just an hour before the 50 fly. He took fifth there in 55.12, just off the 54.82 he went at this year’s British Championships, and will have another 100 backstroke to swim when he leads of the British 4×100 medley relay at the end of the session. That final will see three British age-group record holders take to the water, as Fearn will be joined by Filip Nowacki (breaststroke) and Jack Brown (butterfly). The fourth-place finisher from the 100 freestyle earlier this evening, Gabriel Shepherd, will join that trio as Team GB aim to finish their championship on a high, already in the lead in the medal table after three gold medals and one bronze medal tonight.

This was Fearn’s second gold of the meet, following on from helping the British 4×100 mixed medley relay take the win in a Championship Record of 3:47.07 with a 52.44 fly split on Day 4. He had taken silver in the 100 fly earlier in the session that day, swimming a time of 52.64 that was more than eight-tenths faster than his best entering these Championships.

Prior to these championships, his best in the 50 stood at the 23.69 he went to take gold at the Scottish National Championships at the beginning of April, meaning he has hacked four-tenths of a second off over the course of the week.

The Aberdeen Dolphins swimmer now ranks as the 4th-fastest Brit of all time, overtaking previous National Record Holder Adam Barrett.

Top 5 British Men’s LCM 50 Fly Performers All-Time

1. Ben Proud – 22.75, 2017
2. Jacob Peters – 22.84, 2023
3. Lewis Fraser – 23.26, 2024
4. Dean Fearn – 23.29, 2025*
5. Adam Barrett – 23.40, 2014

Fearn did not swim the event at the British National Championships this April, but would have placed third with his time from tonight. He led the field here by over a quarter of a second, with Czech swimmer Jan Foltyn taking second in 23.55.