2023 European Short Course Championships: Day 6 Finals Live Recap

2023 EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• December 5-10, 2023
• Otopeni Olympic Swimming Complex, Bucharest, Romania
• Short Course Meters (25 meters)
• Prelims 2:30am (ET), Finals 11am (ET)
• Entries Book
• Live Results (Omega)
• Live Results (Microplus Timing)
• Eurovision Sport Livestream
• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Recap | Day 4 Finals Recap

The final session of the 2023 European Short Course Championships has arrived, and it features 11 finals. Here’s the order events for tonight:

Day 6 Event Schedule:

• Men’s 100 IM Final
• Men’s 50 Breaststroke Final
• Women’s 200 Freestyle Final
• Men’s 200 Backstroke Final
• Women’s 400 Freestyle Final
• Men’s 400 IM Final
• Women’s 50 Breaststroke Final
• Men’s 100 Freestyle Final
• Women’s 50 Butterfly Final
• Men’s 800 Freestyle Final
• Mixed 4×50 Medley Relay Final

The men’s 100 IM to open the night will be an exciting one, as 8th seeded entrant Noe Ponti (53.31) actually posted the fastest time of the day yesterday (51.57) en route to winning a swim-off. Despite swimming the fastest time, he’ll swim in lane 8 tonight because of his original qualification status.

The women’s 200 free final is one with some storylines, as top seed Freya Anderson has the chance to repeat her performance of 2019 and claim gold. Nikolett Padar, who broke the European Junior record in the semifinals a day ago, is in medal territory with her 1:53.51 semifinal time.

The men’s 400 IM final will see Duncan Scott swim in lane 5, as he swam the 2nd fastest time earlier today (4:08.32). Scott swam a massive best time of 1:50.98 to win the 200 IM earlier in the meet. These IM races were his only entries for Otopeni.

MEN’S 100 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – FINALS

• World Record: Caeleb Dressel (USA) – 49.28 (2020)
• European Record: Vlad Morozov (RUS) – 50.26 (2018)
• SC Euros Record: Peter Mankoc (SLO) – 50.76 (2009)

Top 8:

1. Bernhard Reitshammer (AUT) – 51.39
2. Noe Ponti (SUI) – 51.62
3. Andreas Vazaios (GRE) – 51.91
4. Giovanni Izzo (ITA) – 51.99
5. Joe Litchfield (GBR) – 52.03
6. Heiko Gigler (AUT) – 52.31
7. Miroslav Knedla (CZE) – 52.49
8. Ronny Brannkarr (FIN) – 52.61

Noe Ponti of Switzerland took the early lead from lane 8, hitting the halfway point in 23.06. He fell back a bit on the breaststroke, but ultimately held on to secure a silver medal. Bernard Reitshammer of Austria made his move on the closing 50 the race, hitting the wall in 51.39 to grab the gold medal. The time by Reitshammer renders him a new Austrian record, eclipsing the previous mark of 51.78 from the Melbourne World Championships.

Interestingly, Reitshammer touched in 8th at the halfway mark before posting a massive 14.69 breaststroke leg. His breaststroke leg rocketed him from 8th to 1st, and was a field leading split by nearly a full second.

Ponti touched in 51.62, just missing the 51.57 national record he put on the books last night.

Andreas Vazaios, who holds the European record in the 200 SCM IM, grabbed the bronze tonight in a swift 51.99. He was in contention the whole way, flipping 4th at the 50 before taking over the 3rd place position around the 65m marker. The time by Vazaios was about half a second shy of the 51.47 national record he posted last year, but was still enough to grab bronze over Giovanni Izzo of Italy by 0.08 seconds.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINALS

• World Record: Huseyin Sakci (TUR) – 24.95 (2021)
• European Record: Huseyin Sakci (TUR) – 24.95 (2021)
• SC Euros Record: Ilya Shymanovich (BUL) – 25.25 (2021)

Top 8:

1. Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA) – 25.66
2. Simone Cerasuolo (ITA) – 25.83
3. Emre Sakci (TUR) – 25.90
4. Koen De Groot (NED) – 26.28
5. Caspar Corbeau (NED) – 26.41
6. Nicholas Aleksander Savol Lia (NOR) – 26.42
7. Archie Goodburn (GBR) – 26.75
8. Berkay Omer Ogretir (TUR) – 26.80

Nicolo Martinenghi of Italy defended his top seed from the semifinals, getting his hands on the wall in 25.66 to win the gold medal. It was a 1-2 finish for the Italian team, as teammate Simone Cerasuolo hit touchpad in 25.83 for silver. Martinenghi won the bronze in this event at the last edition of these championships, so he adds a gold medal to his 50 breast accomplishments with this swim. He was also the silver medalist in the 100 breast earlier in the week.

The world record holder in the event, Emre Sakci of Turkey, hit the wall about a second shy of his record mark (25.90) to grab 3rd.

A pair of Dutch swimmers, Koen De Groot (26.28) and Caspar Corbeau (26.41), took 4th and 5th place tonight with times similar to what they posted a night ago. Corbeau was the 200 breast champion last night, as he won the event in 2:02.41.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• World Record: Siobhan Haughey (HGK) – 1:50.31 (2021)
• European Record: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 1:50.43 (2017)
• SC Euros Record: Federica Pellegrini (ITA) – 1:51.17 (2009)

Top 8:

1. Freya Anderson (GBR) – 1:52.16
2. Barbora Seemanova (CZE) – 1:52.66
3. Freya Colbert (GBR) – 1:54.07
4. Nikolett Padar (HUN) – 1:54.09
5. Sofia Morini (ITA) – 1:54.85
6. Guilia D’Innocenzo (ITA) – 1:54.96
7. Snaefrieur Sol Jorunnardottir (ISL) – 1:55.25
8. Janja Segel (SLO) – 1:56.18

Barbora Seemanova led the 200 freestyle final for about 170 meters, taking it strongly through the 100. She flipped in 53.87, right on world record pace. Freya Anderson made a late charge through the final 75 meters, overtaking Seemanova at the wall to grab the win (1:52.16).

Seemanova touched for silver in 1:52.66, marking the third time she has swum the time of 1:52.66. That means she ties her national record for the third time with her swim tonight.

After flipping through multiple checkpoints in 4th and 5th place, Anderson’s teammate Freya Colbert also made a late charge at the end of the race. She had a great final sprint on the last lap, splitting 14.51 to take the bronze by 0.02 over Nikolett Padar of Hungary.

Padar set the European Junior record in the event yesterday in 1:53.51, so she was about half a second shy of that marker in tonight’s final. Padar will head to ASU to train under Bob Bowman in August of 2025.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINALS

• World Record: Mitch Larkin (AUS) – 1:45.63 (2015)
• European Record: Arkady Vyatchanin (SRB) – 1:46.11 (2009)
• SC Euros Record: Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS) – 1:48.02 (2017)

Top 8:

1. Lorenzo Mora (ITA) – 1:48.43
2. Luke Greenbank (GBR) – 1:48.53
3. Mewen Tomac (FRA) – 1:48.55
4. Oleksandr Zheltiakov (UKR) – 1:50.25
5. Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (FRA) – 1:50.35
6. Cameron Brooker (GBR) – 1:51.25
7. Apostolos Siskos (GRE) – 1:52.36
8. Ole Braunschweig (GER) – 1:52.91

The top 3 swimmers in the men’s 200 back were separated by just 0.12 seconds at the finish, as they all shattered national records en route to their podium performances.

Leading the way was Lorenzo Mora of Italy, stopping the clock in 1:48.43 to pick up the gold medal. Mora came into the meet as the top seeded entrant in each of the backstroke events, but bronze medalist Mewen Tomac was ultimately victorious in both the 50/100s here in Otopeni. Tomac touched in 1:48.55 for bronze, just 0.02 behind Luke Greenbank (1:48.53).

Tomac took the race out strongest, leading through the first 175 meters. Mora and Greenbank then began to increase the tempo and it looked like they were completely even with 5 meters to go.

The swim from Greenbank represents his first personal best since 2021, and given he is a much better long course swimmer, this sets him up great heading into Paris.

World Junior Champion, Oleksandr Zheltiakov of Ukraine, hit the wall 4th in a new national record time of 1:50.25. The swim marks his first time dipping under the 1:51 mark.

WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• World Record: Li Bingjie (China) – 3:51.30 (2022)
• European Record: Mireia Belmonte (Spain) – 3:54.52 (2013)
• SC Euros Record: Camile Muffat (France) – 3:54.85 (2012)

Top 8:

1. Simona Quadarella (ITA) – 3:59.50
2. Anastasiia Kirpichnikova (FRA) – 3:59.56
3. Valentine Dumont (BEL) – 4:00.84
4. Helena Rosendahl Bach (DEN) – 4:02.97
5. Francisca Martins (POR) – 4:04.57
6. Katja Fain (SLO) – 4:04.76
7. Ajna Kesley (HUN) – 4:05.96
8. Maya Werner (GER) – 4:06.05

Simona Quadarella of Italy grabbed her first individual gold of the meet, stopping the clock in 3:59.50 to secure gold. She took the lead for the first time at the 275 turn, and never looked back. Anastasiia Kirpichnikova lead for the majority of the first 275, but Quadarella was able to find another gear through the closing 125m.

Kirpichnikova of France grabbed the silver medal tonight, representing the only under swimmer to break the coveted 4-minute barrier (3:59.56). Kirpichnikova won the title in this event two years ago, where she recorded a time of 3:59.15 to take gold.

Valentine Dumont of Belgium had a great swim to earn a podium finish, finishing in 4:00.84 to claim bronze. Her swim is just shy of the 4:00.05 national record, which she recorded during the ISL in 2020.

Helena Rosendahl Bach of Denmark posted a swift 4:02.97 to earn 4th place tonight, touching ahead of Francisca Martins (POR) and Katja Fain (SLO), who recorded a pair of 4:04s for 5th and 6th.

Ajna Kesley of Hungary and Maya Werner of Germany rounded out the field, touching just 0.09 apart from one another. They swam times of 4:05.96 and 4:06.05, respectively.

MEN’S 400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – FINALS

• World Record: Daiya Seto (Japan) – 3:54.81 (2019)
• European Record: Ilya Borodin (Russia) – 3:56.47 (2021)
• SC Euros Record: Laszlo Cseh (Hungary) – 3:57.27 (2009)

Top 8:

1. Alberto Razzetti (ITA) – 3:57.01 *Championship Record*
2. Duncan Scott (GBR) – 4:00.17
3. Apostolos Papastamos (GRE) – 4:05.19
4. Balazs Hollo (HUN) – 4:05.75
5. Robert-Andrei Badea (ROU) – 4:07.57
6. Thomas Jansen (NED) – 4:08.32
7. Emilien Mattenet (FRA) – 4:09.13
8. Richard Nagy (SVK) – 4:09.25

The men’s 400 IM certainly didn’t disappoint, as Italy continued their winning ways on night six of these championships. The race looked to be close through the first 200, as Alberto Razzetti and Duncan Scott ripped through the 200 in equal 1:55.49 splits. From there, though, Razzetti took the lead and just kept extending it. He ultimately finished over 3 seconds ahead of Scott, demolishing his Italian record by 2.5 seconds and taking down the meet record in the process. His final time of 3:57.01 takes over his previous Italian mark of 3:59.57 from Abu Dhabi in 2021, and he took down Laszlo Cseh’s championship record of 3:57.27, too.

Apostolos Papastamos of Greece rounded out the podium, as he clocked 4:05.19 to claim bronze ahead of Balazs Hollo (4:05.75) by about half a second. Papastamos was the 2019 World Junior Champion in the long course version of this race, where his 4:11.93 from that swim still stands as the Greek national record.

WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINALS

• World Record: Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 28.37 (2022)
• European Record: Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 28.37 (2022)
• SC Euros Record: Benedetta Pilato (ITA) – 28.98 (2023)

Top 8:

1. Benedetta Pilato (ITA) – 28.86 *Championship Record*
2. Eneli Jefimova (EST) – 29.12
3. Jasmine Nocentini (ITA) & Imogen Clark (GBR) –
4. –
5. Veera Kivirinta (FIN) – 29.79
6. Andrea Podmanikova (SVK) – 29.98
7. Silje Rongevaer Slyngstadli (NOR) – 30.19
8. Diana Petkova (BUL) – 30.24

After registering a new championship record of 28.98 in the semifinals last night, Benedetta Pilato of Italy reset the record en route to gold. She stopped the clock in 28.86 to lower the mark by an additional 0.12 seconds, securing the fifth Italian gold medal on the night.

Eneli Jefimova of Estonia clocked 29.12 to earn herself a silver medal, just 0.02 shy of the 29.10 marker she threw down in the semifinals. Jefimova was the 100 breast champion earlier in the meet, where she recorded a massive best time of 1:03.21.

Two bronze medalists will be present on tonight’s podium as Jasmine Nocentini of Italy and Imogen Clark of Great Britain touched in a pair of 29.41s. Both swimmers were faster in last night’s semifinals, where Nocentini put up a time of 29.31 and Clark recorded a swift 29.34.

Nocentini trains with the University of Virginia Cavaliers in the United States, and has really broken through these past few months. Earlier in the meet, she recorded several 23-low to 23-mid 50 freestyle splits on the Italian sprint relays.

Clark won bronze in 2018 and silver in 2022 for the 50 breast at the long course version of these championships, so her swim tonight is a bit of a breakthrough for her on the short course international stage.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• World Record: Kyle Chalmers (AUS) – 44.84 (2021)
• European Record: Amaury Leveaux (FRA) – 44.94 (2008)
• SC Euros Record: Amaury Leveaux (FRA) – 44.94 (2008)

Top 8:

1. Maxime Grousset (FRA) – 45.46
2. Alessandro Miressi (ITA) – 45.51
3. David Popovici (ROU) – 46.05
4. Matt Richards (GBR) – 46.07
5. Nandor Nemeth (HUN) – 46.08
6. Leonardo Deplano (ITA) – 46.36
7. Diogo Ribeiro (POR) – 46.61
8. Jacob Whittle (GBR) – 46.77

France’s Maxime Grousset will walk away from these championships as an individual gold medalist, as he won the 100 free in 45.46. Grousset trailed Alessandro Miressi for most of the race, but had another gear through the last 10 meters to get his hand on the wall 1st.

Miressi ultimately touched in 2nd, recording 45.51 for silver. The race for 3rd was very exciting, as David Popovoci, Matt Richards, and Nandor Nemeth all touched within 0.03 of each other at the finish.

Hometown hero Popovici got his hand on the wall ahead of the other two, which earned him an individual bronze medal. The crowd absolutely loved it, especially after he just missed a medal in yesterday’s 200 free final. Notably, Popovici was 7th with 25 to go, but really dug deep to get on the podium.

Richards touched for 4th, while Nemeth rounded out the top 5.

Leonardo Deplano (46.36), Diogo Ribeiro (46.61), and Jacob Whittle (46.77) completed the field tonight with 6th, 7th, and 8th place finishes.

WOMEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY – FINALS

• World Record: Therese Alshammar (SWE) – 24.38 (2009)
• European Record: Therese Alshammar (SWE) – 24.38 (2009)
• SC Euros Record: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 24.50 (2021)

Top 8:

1. Anna Ntountounaki (GRE) & Tessa Giele (NED) – 25.10
2. –
3. Sara Junevik (SWE) – 25.16
4. Louise Hansson (SWE) – 25.28
5. Julie Kepp Jensen (DEN) – 25.43
6. Emilie Beckmann (DEN) – 25.55
7. Neza Klancar (SLO) – 25.57
8. Silvia Di Pietro (ITA) – 25.65

Anna Ntountounaki of Greece and Tessa Giele of the Netherlands are the 50 fly co-gold medalists here in Otopeni. They touched the wall in equal 25.10 times, while Sweden’s Sara Junevik posted a time of 25.16 to grab bronze.

Notably, Giele barely snuck into the final yesterday by placing 8th in the semifinals, so she moved from 8th to 1st in the span of 24 hours.

Louise Hansson, who won the 100 fly earlier in the meet, took 4th here (25.28).

Two teammates from Denmark, Julie Kepp Jensen and Emilie Beckmann, posted times of 25.43 and 25.55 to place 5th and 6th.

MEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• World Record: Grant Hackett (AUS) – 7:23.42 (2008)
• European Record: Daniel Wiffen (IRL) – 7:25.96 (2022)
• SC Euros Record: Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) – 7:27.94 (2021)

Top 8:

1. Daniel Wiffen (IRL) – 7:20.46 *WORLD RECORD*
2. David Aubry (FRA) – 7:30.32
3. Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR) – 7:31.20
4. Victor Johansson (SWE) – 7:33.11
5. Lucca De Tullio (ITA) – 7:34.08
6. Dimitrios Markos (GRE) – 7:36.46
7. Felix Auboeck (AUT) – 7:38.26
8. Nathan Wiffen (IRL) – 7:39.99

WORLD RECORD! In the most anticipated race of the night, if not the entire meet, Daniel Wiffen delivered. The Irish distance star touched the wall in 7:20.46 to completely obliterate the 7:23.42 previous record held by Grant Hackett by nearly 3 seconds. Wiffen negative split the race, taking it out in a fast 3:40.91 before coming home in a mind-boggling 3:39.45. Wiffen closed in 25.99 to put an exclamation mark on his race.

The record by Hackett was legendary, as it was the longest standing world record. It was set just weeks prior to the start of the Beijing Olympics, and you can read more about the historic record here.

With his swim, he becomes the first individual to break a SCM world record this year. This was the last notable opportunity for a world record to go down, as this is the last big short course meet of 2023. Since SCM world records have been tracked, at least one world record has gone down each year. Wiffen kept the streak alive with his historic effort tonight.

David Aubry of France claimed silver in 7:30.32, while Mykhailo Romanchuk of Ukraine hit the wall 3rd (7:31.20).

MIXED 4×50 MEDLEY RELAY – FINALS

• World Record: United States – 1:35.15 (2022)
• European Record: Italy – 1:36.01 (2022)
• SC Euros Record: Netherlands – 1:36.18 (2021)

Top 8:

1. Italy – 1:36.58
2. France – 1:37.14
3. Netherlands – 1:37.86
4. Great Britain – 1:38.17
5. Germany – 1:38.54
6. Estonia – 1:38.94
7. Czechia – 1:39.29
8. Greece – 1:40.44

Italy ended their historic night with yet another win, marking their sixth gold medal tonight. The foursome of Lorenzo Mora (23.01), Nicolo Martinenghi (24.87), Silvia Di Pietro (25.32), and Jasmine Nocentini (23.38) hit the wall in 1:36.58 for the win. For the first two swimmers, Mora and Martinenghi, this marks their second gold of the night. Mora won the 200 back earlier while Martinenghi was victorious in the 50 breast.

France’s squad of Mewen Tomac (22.83), Florent Manaudou (25.70), Beryl Gastaldello (24.92), and Charlotte Bonnet (23.69) combined for a time of 1:37.14, securing silver. The lead-off split from Tomac is 0.01 faster than the 22.84 he produced to win the 50 back gold earlier in the meet, and this swim tonight took place after a 200 backstroke. Manaudou swimming the breast leg may be a surprise to some, but he actually won a World Championships medal in the 50 breast back in 2012.

The Dutch quartet of Kira Toussaint (26.17), Caspar Corbeau (25.83), Tessa Giele (25.30), and Kenzo Simons (20.56) finished in 1:37.86 to snag bronze.

Great Britain was 4th tonight, recording a time of 1:38.17. Notably, Anna Hopkin split 23.08 on the anchor leg to back up the 22.95 split she threw down yesterday.