2025 European Junior Championships
- Tuesday, July 1 – Sunday, July 6
- 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)
- Entries (by country)
- Live European Aquatics Results
- Livestream (Pay-To-Watch)
- Recaps:
BOYS 800 FREESTYLE – FINAL
- World Junior Record: 7:43.37 – Lorenzo Galossi (ITA), 2022
- European Junior Record: 7:43.37 – Lorenzo Galossi (ITA), 2022
Meet record: 7:47.45 – Petar Mitsin (BUL), 2023- 2024 European Junior Champion: Kuzey Tuncelli (TUR), 7:48.01
GOLD – Kuzey Tuncelli (TUR), 7:46.01 *Turkish Record, Championship Record
SILVER – Grigorii Vekovishchev (AIN), 7:51.49
BRONZE – Johannes Liebmann (GER), 7:54.09
Turkey’s Kuzey Tuncelli successfully defended his 2024 title in the boys’ 800 freestyle, clocking a time of 7:46.01 to establish a new Championship Record and Turkish national record. It represents his second gold of the week after logging 14:45.05 to win and defend his title in the 1500 free as well.
His time overtook the previous meet mark of 7:47.45 Bulgarian Petar Mitsin established at the 2023 edition of this competition, while the previous national record was his 7:47.29 notched for 11th at the Paris Olympics last July.
Tuncelli, 17, led wire-to-wire, getting to the wall in the sole time of the field under the 7:50 barrier. He stated earlier in the week that he is saving his full taper for the World Championships in Singapore in a few weeks’ time, which makes tonight’s swim even more impressive.
Behind him was neutral athlete Grigorii Vekovishchev who checked in with 7:51.49 as the silver medalist, and then Germany’s Age Group Record holder Johannes Liebmann who claimed bronze in 7:54.09.
Tuncelli went out a bit smoother through the first 50 of the race compared to his previous best time and national record, but from there dipped under record pace and never dropped off of it. He was under the pace of Mitsin’s former meet record pace from the very first 50 and never fell off that pace either. See a full splits comparison between the three record swims below, in addition to a race clip showing the end of the swim
Splits Comparison:
| Tuncelli’s New Records | Tuncelli’s Former National Record | Mitsin’s Former Championship Record | |
| 50m | 27.05 | 26.73 | 27.06 |
| 100m | 55.80 (28.75) | 56.06 (29.33) | 56.69 (29.63) |
| 150m | 1:25.01 (29.21) | 1:25.62 (29.56) | 1:26.47 (29.78) |
| 200m | 1:54.34 (29.33) | 1:55.42 (29.80) | 1:55.98 (29.51) |
| 250m | 2:23.64 (29.30) | 2:25.04 (29.62) | 2:25.49 (29.51) |
| 300m | 2:53.01 (29.37) | 2:54.86 (29.82) | 2:54.76 (29.27) |
| 350m | 3:22.39 (29.38) | 3:24.32 (29.46) | 3:24.03 (29.27) |
| 400m | 3:51.68 (29.29) | 3:53.42 (29.10) | 3:53.28 (29.25) |
| 450m | 4:20.86 (29.18) | 4:22.45 (29.03) | 4:22.62 (29.34) |
| 500m | 4:50.35 (29.49) | 4:51.74 (29.29) | 4:51.98 (29.36) |
| 550m | 5:19.80 (29.45) | 5:21.01 (29.27) | 5:21.35 (29.37) |
| 600m | 5:49.29 (29.49) | 5:50.46 (29.45) | 5:50.91 (29.56) |
| 650m | 6:18.70 (29.41) | 6:20.02 (29.56) | 6:20.57 (29.66) |
| 700m | 6:48.26 (29.56) | 6:49.31 (29.29) | 6:50.31 (29.74) |
| 750m | 7:17.84 (29.58) | 7:18.77 (29.46) | 7:19.53 (29.22) |
| 800m | 7:46.01 (28.17) | 7:47.29 (28.52) | 7:47.45 (27.92) |
Race Clip:
Kuzey Tuncelli wins the 800 free in a PB and CR – 7:46.01 pic.twitter.com/md1yteLXmU
— Paul Griffin (@PGriffinFC) July 5, 2025
Tuncelli announced himself in 2023, becoming the youngest swimmer to crack the 15-minute barrier in the 1500 free and earning double gold in the distance events at the 2023 World Junior Championships. He continued improving in 2024, taking the next step in his career on the senior international stage which earned him the 2024 Swammy for World Junior Male Swimmer of the Year.
In 2024, Tuncelli won his first senior European Championship title, finishing first in the 1500 free at the championships in June with a 14:55.64. He went to the European Junior Championships a few weeks later and claimed double gold in the 800 and 1500 free. In the latter, he broke the world junior record, European junior, and championship record with a 14:41.89. The swim knocked more than 12 seconds off his Turkey record and lifetime best of 14:54.16 as he moved to 18th all-time in the event and 8th among Europeans ahead of his 17th birthday.
The Paris Games were Tuncelli’s Olympic debut. In his first swim, he broke the Turkish record, clocking 7:47.29 for an 11th-place finish. He made the 1500 free final, where he chopped even more time off his world junior and national records, clocking a 14:41.22 to take fifth. The time improved his standing as the 18th fastest all-time in the event.
Tuncelli wasn’t done breaking records after the Olympic Games. He took over the official 1500 free world junior record at the 2024 Short Course Worlds, swimming 14:20.64 and winning bronze for his first medal at the senior World Championship level. He now owns the 1500 free world junior record in long-course and short-course meters. Tuncelli broke two Turkish records during the swim as his 800 free split of 7:38.76 broke his own national mark.
Anyone know where to watch full race replays for this competition? Particularly the 8 and 15?
His technique sucks.He’s probably hit his max potential.
It’s not the most beautiful to watch, but Paltrinieri would like a word…
Don’t forget. The WR is at 7:32
No one forget.
I truly hope he stays healthy throughout this quad. Kid has the potential to be one of the few from Turkey to break out and become a worlds/Olympic medalist in distance events.
Given that he said he’s tapering for worlds this is very impressive. Excited to see him in Singapore