2024 European Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2024 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• June 17-23, 2024
• LCM (50 meters)
• Belgrade, Serbia
• Prelims: 9:30 am local time
• Finals: 6:30 pm local time
• Psych Sheets 
• Men’s Storylines
• Women’s Storylines
• Live Results
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

Day 4 Finals Heat Sheet

The fourth night of the 2024 European Championships features finals of the men’s 100 butterfly, women’s 50 backstroke, men’s 200 breaststroke, women’s 200 freestyle, and men’s 4×100 free along with semifinals of the men’s 200 free, women’s 100 fly, men’s 50 back, and women’s 200 breast.

European record holder Kristof Milak will kick off the session in the men’s 100 fly final, where he’ll try to hold off Hungarian teammate Hubert Kos, who led the semifinals with a time of 51.31.

Romanian star David Popovici enters as the top seed in the men’s 200 free semis at 1:45.44, fresh off blazing the third-fastest 100 free ever (46.88) last night.

The final individual event of the evening should be a fun one as rising USC sophomore Minna Abraham aims to become the first-ever Hungarian to capture the women’s 200 free crown. The 18-year-old fired off a personal-best 1:57.65 to pace the semifinals ahead of Barbora Seemanova (1:57.81) and Snaefrifdur Sol Jorunnardottir (1:57.87).

Stay tuned for live updates below:

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Record: 49.45 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2021)
• European Record: 49.68 – Kristof Milak, Hungary (2021)
• Championship Record: 50.18 – Kristof Milak, Hungary (2021)

Top 8:

1. Kristof Milak (HUN) – 50.82
2. Hubert Kos (HUN) – 50.96
3. Jakub Majerski (POL) – 50.98
4. Simon Bucher (AUT) – 51.28
5. Daniel Gracik (CZE) – 51.40
6. Adrian Jaskiewicz (POL) – 51.77
7. Luca Armbruster (GER) – 51.88
8. Joshua Gammon (GBR) – 52.32

Kristof Milak started the session with a victory in the men’s 100 fly at 50.82 ahead of Hungary’s Hubert Kos (50.96) and Poland’s Jakub Majerski (50.98).

The 24-year-old Milak was second at the turn (23.65) behind Luca Armbruster (23.48), who faded to 7th down the stretch (28.40 back half). Kos split slightly faster than Milak on the back half (27.16 vs. 27.17), but it wasn’t enough to catch the reigning Olympic silver medalist.

Milak’s time was slightly faster than his 50.99 from April’s Hungarian Championships and just off his season-best 50.75 from the Mare Nostrum stop in Monaco last month, which ranks him 4th in the world this season.

Daniel Gracik blasted a personal-best 51.40 for 5th place behind Austria’s Simon Bucher (51.28), dipping under the Olympic ‘A’ cut (51.67) and taking down his own Czech record of 51.69 from last month. Bucher was just a tenth off his Austrian record of 51.18 from the 2022 World Championships.

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, Australia (2023)
• European Record: 27.10 – Kira Toussaint, Netherlands (2021)
• Championship Record: 27.19 – Kathleen Dawson, Great Britain (2021)

Top 8:

1. Danielle Hill (IRL) – 27.73
2. Theodora Drakou (GRE) – 27.87
3. Adela Piskorska (POL) – 28.00
4. Lora Komoroczy (HUN) – 28.02
5. Julie Kepp Jensen (DEN) – 28.34
6. Fanny Teijonsalo (FIN) – 28.36
7. Nika Sharafutdinova (UKR) – 28.82
8. Justine Murdock (LTU) – 28.86

Danielle Hill narrowly missed her own Irish record from last month (27.64) en route to the women’s 50 back win in 27.73.

The 24-year-old touched about a tenth of a second ahead of Greece’s Theodora Drakou (27.87), the only other swimmer in the field to break 28 seconds. Drakou, a three-time Olympian, wasn’t far off her personal-best 27.40 from 2020 at 32 years old.

Poland’s Adela Piskorska (28.00) eked past Hungary’s Lora Komoroczy (28.02) for the bronze medal.

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – SEMIFINALS

• World Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann, Germany (2009)
• European Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann, Germany (2009)
• Championship Record: 1:42.97 – David Popovici, Romania (2022)

Top 8:

1. David Popovici (ROU) – 1:46.15
2. Danas Rapsys (LTU) – 1:46.44
3. Dimitrios Markos (GRE) – 1:46.46
4. Kamil Sieradzki (POL) – 1:46.63
5. Velimir Stjepanovic (SRB) – 1:47.12
6. Antonio Djakovic (SUI) – 1:47.31
7. Konstantinos Englezakis (GRE) – 1:47.34
8. Niko Jankovic (CRO) – 1:47.36

David Popovici was slightly slower than he was in prelims this morning (1:45.44), but it was still good for the top qualifying spot at 1:46.15 ahead of Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys (1:46.44), Greece’s Dimitrios Markos (1:46.46), and Poland’s Kamil Sieradzki (1:46.63).

Popovici is ranked 4th in the world this season at 1:44.74 from last month’s Mare Nostrum stop in Barcelona. Rapsys ripped a 1:44.90 anchor leg to power Lithuania’s 4×200 free relay team to the European title on Monday night.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – SEMIFINALS

• World Record: 55.18 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
• European Record: 55.48 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2016)
• Championship Record: 55.89 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2016)

Top 8:

1. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) – 57.89
2. Georgia Damasioti (GRE) – 58.00
3. Sara Junevik (SWE) – 58.23
4. Helena Bach (DEN) – 58.24
5. Anna Ntountounaki (GRE) – 58.41
6. Paulina Peda (POL) – 58.47
7. Kajtaz Amina (CRO) – 58.55
8. Lana Pudar (BIH) – 58.63

Roos Vanotterdijk posted a 57.89 to pace the women’s 100 fly semifinals as the only swimmer in the field under 58 seconds. The 19-year-old just missed her personal-best 57.82 from last February after taking silver in the 50 fly (26.08) earlier this week.

Greece’s Georgia Damasioti (58.00), Sweden’s Sara Junevik (58.23), and Denmark’s Helena Bach (58.24) were close behind Vanotterdijk, establishing themselves as podium contenders for tomorrow’s final.

Greece’s Anna Ntountounaki, who placed 5th at the 2024 World Championships (57.62), qualified 5th in 58.41.

MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – SEMIFINALS

• World Record: 23.55 – Kliment Kolesnikov, Russia (2023)
• European Record: 23.80 – Kliment Kolesnikov, Russia (2021)
• Championship Record: 23.80 – Kliment Kolesnikov, Russia (2021)

Top 8:

1. Apostolos Christou (GRE) – 24.52
2. Ksawery Masiuk (POL) – 24.72
3. Evangelos Makrygiannis (GRE) – 24.73
4. Michael Laitarovsky (ISR) – 24.87
5. Ralf Tribuntsov (EST) – 24.89
6. Adam Jaszo (HUN) – 24.97
7. Conor Ferguson (IRL) – 25.01
8. Hubert Kos (HUN) – 25.07

Apostolos Christou took the top qualifying spot in the men’s 50 back at 24.52 in the semifinals, just off his own Greek record of 24.36 from the 2022 European Championships.

Ksawery Masiuk reached the wall a couple tenths behind Christou at 24.72, not far off his Polish record of 24.44 from his 3rd-place showing at February’s World Championships.

Greece’s Evangelos Makrygiannis (24.73), Israel’s Michael Laitarovsky (24.87), Estonia’s Ralf Tribuntsov (24.89), and Hungary’s Adam Jaszo (24.97) also broke 25 seconds on their way to tomorrow’s final. Hungary’s Hubert Kos snuck into the final as the eighth qualifier after placing 2nd in the 100 fly earlier in the session.

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – SEMIFINALS

• World Record: 2:17.55 – Evgeniia Chikunova, Russia (2023)
• European Record: 2:19.11 – Rikke Pedersen, Denmark (2013)
• Championship Record: 2:19.84 – Rikke Pedersen, Denmark (2014)

Top 8:

1. Kristyna Horska (CZE) – 2:24.55
2. Thea Blomsterberg (DEN) – 2:25.04
3. Clara Rybak-Andersen (DEN) – 2:26.18
4. Lisa Mamie (SUI) – 2:26.34
5. Ellie McCartney (IRL) – 2:26.76
6. Eszter Bekesi (HUN) – 2:27.77
7. Eleni Kontogeorgou (GRE) – 2:28.14
8. Ana Blazevic (CRO) – 2:28.92

Kristyna Horska topped the women’s 200 breast semifinals at 2:24.55, within a few tenths of her personal-best 2:24.28 from April.

Denmark’s Thea Blomsterberg touched within half a second of Horska at 2:25.04, a couple seconds off her lifetime best of 2:22.42 from the 2023 World Championships.

Clara Rybak-Andersen qualified 3rd for the final in 2:26.18, within a couple seconds of her personal-best 2:24.47 from April.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: 2:05.48 – Qin Haiyang, China (2023)
• European Record: 2:06.12 – Anton Chupkov, Russia (2019)
• Championship Record: 2:06.80 – Anton Chupkov, Russia (2018)

Top 8:

1. Tie: Lyubomir Epitropov (BUL) / Erik Persson (SWE) – 2:09.45
2. –
3. Jan Kalusowski (POL) – 2:10.20
4. Anton McKee (ISL) – 2:10.28
5. Maksym Ovchinnikov (UKR) – 2:11.84
6. Andrius Sidlauskas (LTU) – 2:12.36
7. Eoin Corby (IRL) – 2:12.71
8. Christopher Rothbauer (AUT) – 2:13.07

Lyubomir Epitropov used a ferocious second-half rally to tie Erik Persson for the men’s 200 breast title in 2:09.45.

In the process, Epitropov dropped a couple tenths off his own Bulgarian record of 2:09.68 from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Persson was a couple seconds off his own Swedish standard of 2:07.66 from the 2021 European Championships.

Epitropov was just 6th at the midway point of the race at 1:03.24, almost a second behind Persson (1:02.25). However, the 25-year-old Epitropov went 1:06.21 over the final 100 meters to clinch his share of the crown.

Poland’s Jan Kalusowski captured the bronze medal in 2:10.20, just a blink ahead of Iceland’s Anton McKee (2:10.28).

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: 1:52.23 – Ariarne Titmus, Australia (2024)
• European Record: 1:52.98 – Federica Pellegrini, Italy (2009)
• Championship Record: 1:54.95 – Charlotte Bonnet, France (2018)

Top 8:

1. Barbora Seemanova (CZE) – 1:55.37
2. Minna Abraham (HUN) – 1:57.22
3. Nicole Maier (GER) – 1:57.36
4. Snaefridur Sol Jorunnardottir (ISL) – 1:57.85
5. Daria Golovaty (ISR) – 1:58.62
6. Janja Segel (SLO) – 1:58.91
7. Francisca Martins (POR) – 1:59.11
8. Leah Schlosshan (GBR) – 1:59.38

Czech record holder Barbora Seemanova dominated the women’s 200 free final in 1:55.37, only a couple tenths off her standard of 1:55.12 from last month.

Minna Abraham, an 18-year-old Hungarian, earned silver with a time of 1:57.22, shaving almost half a second off her previous-best 1:57.65 from Wednesday’s semifinals and dipping under the Olympic ‘A’ cut of 1:57.26.

Germany’s Nicole Maier missed the Olympic ‘A’ cut by just a tenth with a 3rd-place finish in 1:57.36. The recent Miami (Ohio) graduate dropped almost a second off her previous-best 1:58.10 from Wednesday’s semifinals.

MEN’S 4×100 FREESTYLE  RELAY – FINAL

• World Record: 3:08.24 – USA (2008)
• European Record: 3:08.32 – France (2008)
• Championship Record: 3:10.41 – Russian Federation (2021)

Top 8:

1. Serbia – 3:12.90
2. Poland – 3:13.25
3. Greece – 3:13.73
4. Croatia – 3:13.91
5. Romania – 3:14.02
6. Germany – 3:14.56
7. Israel – 3:17.14
8. Sweden – 3:17.72

Serbian record holder Andrej Barna threw down a 46.86 anchor split to carry his 4×100 free relay team from 5th place to 1st with a total time of 3:12.90, just ahead of Poland (3:13.25), Greece (3:13.73), and Croatia (3:13.91)

Velimir Stjepanovic clocked the first sub-48 second 100 free of his career at 47.99 on Serbia’s leadoff leg. The 30-year-old knocked more than half a second off his previous-best 48.50 from way back in 2016.

Nikola Acin (48.64) and Justin Cvetkov (49.41) joined Barna and Stjepanovic on Serbia’s winning relay.

Mateusz Chowaniec (48.45), Dominik Dudys (48.60), Ksawery Masiuk (48.04), and Kamil Sieradzki (48.16) guided Poland to the silver medal in 3:13.25. The quartet sliced more than half a second off the previous national record of 3:13.88 from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Apostolos Christou (48.82), Stergios Marios Bilas (48.50), Kristian Gkolomeev (48.04), and Andreas Vazaios (48.37) led Greece to the bronze medal in 3:13.73.

Rising LSU sophomore Jere Hribar posted an impressive 47.77 split for 4th-place Croatia (3:13.91). David Popovici led off Romania’s 5th-place relay (3:14.02) with a blistering 47.22 flat-start time.