Paris 2024, Euro Recap: Apostolos Christou Wins Greece’s First Medal In The Pool Since 1896

2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

• Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024
  • Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024
• La Défense Arena — Paris, France
• LCM (50 meters)
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• European Recap, Day 1: Lukas Märtens Doesn’t “Give A Shit” About 400 Free WR As He Wins Gold
• European Recap, Day 2: Leon Marchand Answers The Hype With An Olympic Record
• European Recap, Day 3: European Men Have Won Every Individual Event Through Three Days
• European Recap, Day 4: Team GB’s 4×200 Free Relay The First To Defend Olympic Gold With Identical Lineup
• European Recap, Day 5: Out of the Spotlight, Josha Salchow is Having The Meet Of His Life

It’s been 128 years since a Greek pool swimmer has stood on the Olympic podium. While they’ve had open water medallists, their last pool medallist came in 1896 at the first Games in the modern Olympic era.

Apostolos Christou just ended that drought for the Greeks, surprising for the silver in the men’s 200 backstroke. It’s been a strange Olympics, but Christou’s medal is one of the biggest surprises of the meet. He did place 4th in the 100 backstroke, just outside the medals, but before today, he wasn’t known for his 200 skill. He hasn’t raced this event at a global meet since the 2019 World Championships. At 27, he was the oldest in the final and had the slowest lifetime best, which was the 1:56.34 he swam at the Greek Championships earlier this year.

None of that context mattered in the final. Up in lane two, he shot out to the front of the race. He flipped at the 50 in 26.39, .44 seconds ahead of Pieter Coetze, who was running second. As a 100 backstroke specialist, it wasn’t surprising to see Christou maintain the lead through the halfway mark (55.14). But he continued to pace the field through the final turn, holding a 1.02-second advantage over Hubert Kos. The Hungarian and 2023 world champion did go by Christou on the final 50 meters.

Christou split 30.46 on his closing split, the slowest in the field, but he’d put so much distance between himself and the rest of the field that it didn’t matter. He held on for silver in a new lifetime best and Greek record of 1:54.82, his first sub-1:56 effort and a 1.52-second drop.

Split Comparison, Christou PBs

Coming into the Games, the men’s 200 backstroke was one of the most even event fields. There were the favorites like Kos, Ryan Murphy, and Hugo Gonzalez — all swimmers who had broken 1:55. It was open season behind them as you would need both hands to count all the swimmers with 1:55 personal bests.

The event got a big surprise when Murphy, who hadn’t missed an international final in this event since 2013, finished 10th in the semifinals. But even without Murphy, the event’s speed didn’t take a huge hit; it was unlikely to take a sub-1:54 to make the medal podium. With Murphy and all the Tokyo finalists out of the Olympic final in Paris, the door was open for all eighth athletes. And Christou, Greece’s first 200 backstroke finalist ever, walked right through.

The weight of the moment hit him during the victory ceremony. He won his first senior global-level medal at the 2024 World Championships, taking bronze in the 100 backstroke. But that’s nothing compared to the Olympic stage and the roar of the 17,000 strong in La Défense arena. The emotion was clear on Christou’s face as he accepted his silver medal and sealed the moment in Greek Olympic history by kissing it.

Day 6 Quick Hits

• Kos backed up his 2023 200 backstroke world title by winning his first Olympic medal in 1:54.26. He was just off his lifetime best 1:54.14 as he charged home with a 28.88 closing split, passing Christou to deliver Hungary’s first gold of the 2024 Olympic Games. He’s Hungary’s first 200 back Olympic champion since 1980. With Roman Mityukov collecting bronze (1:54.85), this was the first all-European podium of the meet. Kos and Mityukov shared the 2023 Worlds podium too, as Kos won gold there and Mityukov earned bronze.
• Tes Schouten earned bronze in the women’s 200 breaststroke (2:21.05). She won gold at the 2024 World Championships in this event and this marks her first Olympic medal. Not only is this the Netherlands’ second bronze of the meet, it’s their second 200 breaststroke bronze. Yesterday, Caspar Corbeau won bronze in the men’s edition for his first Olympic medal.
• Great Britain put five swimmers through to tomorrow night’s finals. Ben Proud is tied with Cameron McEvoy for first seed in the men’s 50 freestyle (21.38). Honey Osrin and Katie Shanahan are through to the women’s 200 backstroke final in 3rd (2:07.84) and 7th (2:08.52). Finally, Duncan Scott and Tom Dean both qualified for the men’s 200 IM final, touching in 1:56.49 and 1:56.92, respectively. At the 2023 World Championships, the pair earned Great Britain’s first Worlds medals in the event in 50 years by going 2-3.

Day 6 Continental and National Records

• After walking out for the men’s 200 backstroke final to thunderous applause, Mewen Tomac reset his French record in the event, just missing the medals with a 4th place finish. Tomac first took over the record at this year’s French Elite Championships with a 1:55.54. He undercut that mark by .16 seconds in the final, swimming a 1:55.38.
• Thomas Fannon took down the Irish men’s 50 freestyle record twice today. First, swam 21.79, breaking the standard set by Shane Ryan just last month at the European Championships by 0.03 seconds. That swim qualified him for the semifinals, where he took another .05 seconds off. Fannon touched in 21.74, finishing 10th.

European Medal Table Thru Day 6