2025 EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- December 2-7, 2025
- Prelims at 10am local (4am ET)/Finals at 7pm local (1pm ET)
- Lublin, Poland
- SCM (25 meters)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Livestream
- Live Recaps
The 23rd edition of the European Short Course Swimming Championships kicked off today in Lublin, Poland. The meet, which has run nearly every year since its inception in 1996, saw four gold medals awarded on day one, with World Junior, European Junior, and National Records set throughout the day.
The competition began offering prize money in 2017, awarding cash to 15 men and 15 women based on their single best performance as measured by World Aquatics’ AQUA points.
As in years past, a total of €300,000 is up for grabs, with €150,000 allocated to men and €150,000 to women. The man and woman who pull off the swim worth the most FINA point will each be awarded €25,000 (roughly equal to $29,072 USD), while the second place swimmers will win €20,000, third place €15,000, fourth place €13,000, with one thousand subtracted for each subsequent placement:
| Placement | Prize (€) |
| 1 | 25,000 |
| 2 | 20,000 |
| 3 | 15,000 |
| 4 | 13,000 |
| 5 | 12,000 |
| 6 | 11,000 |
| 7 | 10,000 |
| 8 | 9,000 |
| 9 | 8,000 |
| 10 | 7,000 |
| 11 | 6,000 |
| 12 | 5,000 |
| 13 | 4,000 |
| 14 | 3,000 |
| 15 | 2,000 |
In addition to the awards that will be given out to the top 30 swimmers based on AQUA points, European Aquatics will also award a €10,000 bonus to any swimmer who breaks a World Record and €5,000 to those who set a European Record.
Back in 2017, the first time that the awards system came into effect, Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Kliment Kolesnikov were the respective high-point scorers at the meet. Kromowidjojo’s 50.95 100 freestyle was worth 997 points, and Kolesnikov’s 48.99 100 backstroke was worth 995 points.
Two years later, Russia’s Kliment Kolesnikov was again at the top of the rankings with his 987-point 100 back (49.09), while the Netherlands’ Kira Toussaint earned 992 points when she swam a 55.17 in the women’s event.
2021 saw Hungary’s Szebasztian Szabo and Belarus’ Ilya Shymanovich top the standings with their respective 1000-point World Record swims. Szabo accomplished the feat first when he posted a 21.75 during the 50 butterfly final to tie Nicholas Santos‘ then-WR in that event.
Following Szabo’s 1000-point yield, Ilya Shymanovich swam his way to a 25.25 50 breaststroke, which is the exact same time that Cameron van der Burgh used to become the fastest man in history back in 2009.
On the women’s side, then-Russian representative (now French) Anastasia Kirpichnikova threw down a 15:18.30 in the final of the women’s 1500 free, coming just shy of Sarah Kohler‘s then-WR of 15:18.01. While she didn’t get the perfect 1000 FINA points that come along with a WR-matching swim, she scored 999 to top the rankings.
In 2023, Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen clocked 7:20.46 in the 800 free for a 1000-point swim, dropping more than five seconds and demolishing the legendary world record of 7:23.42 set by Australia’s Grant Hackett back on July 20, 2008, which made it the oldest world record still on the books.
On the women’s side, Dutchwoman Tes Schouten claimed the top prize with her 966-point 2:16.09 200 breast win.
si gold medal if no European récord or World récord gives you no money at all?? does not make any sense to me