2024 EUROPEAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, July 2nd – Sunday, July 7th
- Prelims at 9:30am local/Finals at 6pm local
- Lazdynai Pool, Vilnius, Lithuania
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- Entries
- Live Results
- Livestream ($)
The third night of finals from the 2024 European Junior Championships featured the best swim of the competition thus far, as Turkey’s Kuzey Tuncelli unleashed a stunning performance in the boys’ 1500 freestyle.
Tuncelli put on a masterclass, taking the lead from the first 50 and running away from the field to touch first by more than 22 seconds in 14:41.89, taking down Franko Grgic‘s World Junior and European Junior Record of 14:46.09 set at the 2019 World Junior Championships.
What a moment! 👏
Kuzey Tuncelli 🇹🇷 feels ‘great’ after setting a new World Junior Record in the 1500m Free. #EJSCVilnius2024 | https://t.co/IBWoGhHUkN pic.twitter.com/2fGeX0WcYs
— European Aquatics (@EuroAquatics) July 4, 2024
Tuncelli, 16, knocked more than 12 seconds off his Turkish Record and lifetime best of 14:54.16, set in July 2023.
He’s also been close to that mark twice in the lead-up to this competition, placing 8th at the 2024 World Championships (14:54.98 in the prelims) and winning the European senior title in 14:55.64 less than two weeks ago.
In April 2023, he became the first 15-year-old to break 15:00 in the 1500 free.
Split Comparison
| Grgic, 2019 | Tuncelli, 2024 |
| 27.21 | 26.75 |
| 56.52 (29.31) | 55.36 (28.61) |
| 1:26.03 (29.51) | 1:24.85 (29.49) |
| 1:55.88 (29.85) | 1:54.40 (29.55) |
| 2:25.64 (29.76) | 2:23.74 (29.34) |
| 2:55.57 (29.93) | 2:53.23 (29.49) |
| 3:25.49 (29.92) | 3:22.78 (29.55) |
| 3:55.53 (30.04) | 3:52.52 (29.74) |
| 4:25.10 (29.57) | 4:22.04 (29.52) |
| 4:54.84 (29.74) | 4:51.74 (29.70) |
| 5:24.57 (29.73) | 5:21.37 (29.63) |
| 5:54.31 (29.74) | 5:50.82 (29.45) |
| 6:24.02 (29.71) | 6:20.33 (29.51) |
| 6:53.66 (29.64) | 6:49.72 (29.39) |
| 7:23.47 (29.81) | 7:19.27 (29.55) |
| 7:53.07 (29.60) | 7:48.99 (29.72) |
| 8:22.76 (29.69) | 8:18.42 (29.43) |
| 8:52.49 (29.73) | 8:47.98 (29.56) |
| 9:22.12 (29.63) | 9:17.33 (29.35) |
| 9:51.66 (29.54) | 9:47.22 (29.89) |
| 10:21.32 (29.66) | 10:16.74 (29.52) |
| 10:50.93 (29.61) | 10:46.56 (29.82) |
| 11:20.63 (29.70) | 11:16.42 (29.86) |
| 11:50.21 (29.58) | 11:46.51 (30.09) |
| 12:19.93 (29.72) | 12:16.33 (29.82) |
| 12:49.43 (29.50) | 12:45.66 (29.33) |
| 13:19.30 (29.87) | 13:15.14 (29.48) |
| 13:48.71 (29.41) | 13:45.23 (30.09) |
| 14:17.80 (29.09) | 14:14.46 (29.23) |
| 14:46.09 (28.29) | 14:41.89 (27.43) |
Tuncelli also took 17 seconds off the European Junior Championship Record of 14:58.89 that he set last year en route to gold.
Set to turn 17 in August, he moves into 18th all-time in the event and 8th among Europeans.
For additional context, his time is more than 22 seconds faster than the existing U.S. National Age Group Record for 15-16 boys of 15:03.91 set by Bobby Hackett in 1976.
Set to make his Olympic debut in Paris, Tuncelli moves into #4 in the world this season.
2023-2024 LCM Men 1500 Free
Wiffen
14:34.07
| 2 | Robert FINKE | USA | 14:40.38 | 06/23 |
| 3 | Gregorio PALTRINIERI | ITA | 14:41.38 | 11/28 |
| 4 | Kuzey Tuncelli | TUR | WJR 14:41.89 | 07/04 |
| 5 | Florian WELLBROCK | GER | 14:42.28 | 04/28 |
In the race itself, Tuncelli won by a massive margin ahead of Germany’s Johannes Liebmann (15:04.04), while he was joined by countryman and bronze medalist Muhammed Yusuf Ozden (15:19.56) on the podium.
Oh this is next level. Congratulations to this very young distance phenomenon. 👏👏👏 Good luck in Paris, anything is possible.
oh he cookin
the number of Turkish distance swimmers peaking at 16 and then disappearing is noteworthy
I’d be happy to peak at 14.41 and disappear, no matter my age. Phenomenal swim.
Podium.
I know we are much closer to the games, but I am having flashbacks of Ledecky at the May 2012 Charlotte Ultraswim, where as a precocious teen she arrived as a finals contender with a dominant win in the 800, and we know what happened next.
Not to take anything away from Tuncelli’s exciting performance today, but I just watched that spring 2012 Ledecky race I referenced and it has MANY THINGS and maybe deserves its own article:
https://youtu.be/1QnrLKCDfx8?feature=shared
Ledecky, Rowdy (with legit takes), Twitchell, Sam Kendricks, G Ryan, Janet Evans, Missy, McKeever, C*rl Bu*ke, Yuri, Chloe Sutton, Hoff, Ziegler
And a wee little pre-legend just-turned-15 interview at the end 🙂
That 8:25.8 in May 2012 was her PB at the time. Four years later Katie would go 8:04 😮
What happened to franko grgic?
Shoulder injury I believe. I don’t know the full info but that’s what I’ve heard from croatian friends.
On one of the biggest Croatian news sites, Jutarnji list, there was an interview with his coach a few years ago. Franko had hypermobility syndrome and while he was still in training, not on the same level anymore.
ok what the actual
The world was amazed when a 16 year old Kieren Perkins went 15.58 back in 1990. This kid has gone 17 seconds faster! I hope he goes on to more great things. By the way, what happened to Franko Grgic?
That time by Perkins (actually 14:58) is still amazing, 34 years later.
Men’s distance swimming has been insane this quad. There’s going to be some big names missing the final in Paris
Yes but may I (respectfully) say “about time” ??
The distance Revolution has really taken off since Tokyo. Feels like ever since Bobby Finke made this exciting again because of his strategy it’s really revitalized distance swimming to a place it hasn’t been in over 30 years with many stepping up and pushing themselves and not just a hand few of guys. Could bring both the 8 and 1500 to new heights in the near future. But Congrats to this 16 year old Kuzey!
I think Paltrinieri started it with a brilliant swim in 2020. 14.32 I think. Or maybe 14.31 ?
Yeah I agree Joel, Paltrinieri/Wellbrock/Romanchuck battles really invigorated the 1500.