Vekovishchev Shatters Own Russian Age Group 400 Free Record in 3:44.58

2026 EUROPEAN JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, July 7 – Sunday, July 12, 2026
• Munich, Germany
• LCM (50 meters)
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• 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

BOYS 400 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 3:42.82, Zhang Zhanshuo (CHN), 2025
• European Junior Record: 3:44.31, Petar Mitsin (BUL), 2023
• Championship Record: 3:44.31, Petar Mitsin (BUL), 2023
• 2025 European Junior Champion: Gregorii Vekovishchev (NA), 3:48.71

GOLD – Grigorii Vekovishchev (NA), 3:44.58
SILVER – Oliver Papai (HUN), 3:47.88
BRONZE – Christian Giefing (AUT), 3:47.92

Grigorii Vekovishchev swam the #2 time ever by a European junior in the 400 free tonight, clocking 3:44.58 to lower his own Russian Age Group record by 1.58 seconds.

Vekovishchev is the reigning World Junior champion in the event courtesy of the 3:46.64 he clocked at the meet in 2025, and lowered that time to 3:46.16 at the Russian National Swimming Cup in April this year. He also set the world junior record in the short course 400 free in November, clocking 3:36.57.

He is now the 5th-fastest junior in history in the 400 free.

Junior Men’s 400 Free, All-Time Top 5

1. Ian Thorpe (AUS) – 3:40.59 (2000)
2. Zhang Zhanshuo (CHN) – 3:42.82 (2025)
3. Park Tae Hwan (KOR) – 3:44.30 (2007)
4. Petar Mitsin (BUL) – 3:44.31 (2023)
5. Grigorii Vekovishchev (RUS) – 3:44.58 (2026)

Vekovishchev was out fast tonight, clocking 53.55 at the 100m mark, but fell down to second behind 16-year-old countryman Bogdan Toropkin on the next 50 and remained second at halfway, flipping in 1:50.94.

However, he then turned on the jets, splitting 28.38/28.79 on the next two lengths to overhaul his compatriot and lead by over a second heading into the final 50. He then clocked 56.47, the second fastest closing 100 in the field, to shatter his personal best and take the win by well over three seconds.

Oliver Papai and Christian Giefing were locked in a battle behind him, separated by just 0.04 at the end, with Papai closing in 56.43 to Giefing’s 56.55. Toropkin fell to 4th in 3:49.61.

Vekovishchev now ranks as the #4 Russian swimmer in history, moving up one spot as he overtakes 2015 world medalist Alexander Krasnykh.

Russian Men’s 400 Free, All-Time Top 5

1. Nikita Lobintsev – 3:43.45 (2008)
2. Yuriy Prilukov – 3:43.97 (2008)
3. Martin Malyutin – 3:44.18 (2021)
4. Grigorii Vekovishchev – 3:44.58 (2026)
5. Alexander Krasnykh – 3:45.55 (2019)

This is Vekovishchev’s second individual title of the meet, having won the 800 free in 7:52.31 yesterday. He also finished 5th in the 200 free final after leading the semi-finals in 1:45.75, which would have been just 0.07 seconds off gold in the final.

He did split a rapid 1:45.72 to anchor the 4×200 free relay to gold in a new European junior record of 7:09.16, less than a second off the USA’s world junior record of 7:08.37.

Vekovishchev is the eighth-fastest man in the world so far this season, 0.01 seconds faster than Germany’s Johannes Liebmann.