Sven Schwarz Less Than A Second Shy Of European 800 Free Record; Five-Star Vanotterdijk
Sven Schwarz posted his second-fastest 800 free to fall less than a second shy of his continental record on a night when David Popovici downed his European 100 free mark as the European U23 Championships wrapped up in Samorin, Slovakia.
Read more about Popovici’s 46.71 rocket here: David Popovici Rockets To European 100 Free Record Of 46.71
Schwarz will arrive at the World Championships in Singapore fifth in the all-time 800 free rankings and towing a European record of 7:38.12 set at the German Championships. He stands second over 1500m in 14:36.82 behind Florian Wellbrock, another member of the Magdeburg powerhouse.
Schwarz dominated the 1500 in Samorin in 14:38.96 and returned for the 800, the final individual event of the three-day meet.
He reached 200 0.34 off his continental standard but that had become almost a second by the 300m mark and by halfway, Schwarz was 1.16 off record pace.
Victory was never in doubt as he came home 0.86 off his record in 7:38.98, the 11th fastest performance all-time and he’ll reach Singapore to find the favourite tag attached to him.
Petar Mitsin was second in 7:53.32 with the Bulgarian leaving Slovakia with a gold in the 400 free as well as silvers in the 200 and tonight in the 800. Emile Vincent was third in 7:53.88.
Five-Star Showing By Vanotterdijk; Ribeiro Flies To Gold
Roos Vanotterdijk: Photo Courtesy: Royal Belgian Swimming Federation
Roos Vanotterdijk entered the final day of the meet with two golds and two silvers. It’s a continuation of her 2025 which has seen the 20-year-old break national records in the 100 free (53.62), 50 back (27.81), 100 fly (57.05) and 200IM (2:09.73).
First up was the 50 fly where she posted 25.63 to take down Kimberley Buys’ Belgian record of 25.70 that had stood since the 2017 worlds. Tamara Potocka was second in 25.86 and Daryna Nabojckenko third in 25.90.
She returned for the 100 free. There Milou van Wijk was the only woman inside 54 as she completed the 50-100 double in 53.66. Nina Holt was second (54.01) with Minna Abraham coming from sixth at the turn to take third in 54.36. Vanotterdijk was fifth in 54.84. The Belgian leaves with five medals – three golds and two silvers – and another national record to bring to six the number of entries she’s penned in the history books.
Diogo Ribeiro claimed his second gold in as many days when he led the way in the 50 fly by 0.08.
As with the 50 free, Vladyslav Bukhov led the way in prelims in 23.32 ahead of Denis Popescu’s Romanian record of 23.41 and Ribeiro (23.47). Again it was Ribeiro who emerged on top, edging Bukhov out by 0.08 in 23.01 to 23.09 with Popescu third in 23.43.
Ribeiro has been at the pioneering helm for the last couple of years. He was the first Portuguese to win a world medal in any aquatic discipline when he took 50 fly silver at the 2023 worlds in Fukuoka. Less than a year later, he became the first world champion to hail from the southern European republic with victory in Doha, where he completed the 50-100 fly double.
However, his Olympic experience in Paris didn’t live up to expectations as he finished 16th in the 50 free semis in 22.01 and 20th in the 100 fly in 51.90. In Samorin, he secured 100 fly silver in 51.73 behind Popescu. The following evening his 21.67 blast propelled him to the 50 free title and a new national record and he closed his competition with the 50 fly gold.
Mladenovic Completes Breaststroke Treble
Diogo Ribeiro: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia
Luka Mladenovic completed the breaststroke treble as the only man to dip inside the minute mark in the 100 in 59.97. Volodomyr Lisovets was second in 1:00.36 and Ivo Kroes third in 1:00.62.
Jack Skerry lowered his 100 back PB for the second time in a day to dominate in 53.35 ahead of Oleksandr Zheltyakov (53.93) with Matthew Ward making it a British 1-3 in 54.29.
Clara Rybak-Andersen won the 200m breaststroke title in 2:23.89 with Ellie McCartney second in 2:24.02 as she left Samorin with a medal of each colour and Kotryna Teterevkova third in 2:24.86.
Third at halfway, Olympic finalist Honey Osrin moved into the lead by the 150 mark to claim the 200 back title in 2:11.28. Adela Piskorska overhauled Bertille Cousson by 0.06 to take second in 2:11.50 to 2:11.56.
Hungary held off the challenge of Nina Holt on the final leg of the mixed 4×1 free to take the title in 3:27.13 to 3:27.16 with Great Britain third in 3:27.93.
Dominik Torok won the men’s 200IM in 2:00.00 and Artemis Vasilaki headed the fastest heat of the women’s 1500 in 16:22.20.