2018 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- August 3-9, 2018 (swimming portion)
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Tollcross International Swimming Centre
- swimming Program
- live streaming
- Live Stream (Europe w / English)
- Results
The 2018 European Championships are now done and dusted, but not before the nations of Russia, Great Britain and Italy wreaked havoc on the overall medal standings in historic performances. Russia swam away with most overall medals in 26, which included 10 gold, 10 silver and 6 bronze medals. Runner-up GBR fell just 2 medals shy, capturing 9 gold, 7 silver and 8 bronze to wind up with 24 overall. Italy rounded out the top 3 nations with a big haul of 22 medals, including 6 gold.
We reported how Italy in particular had a record-setting meet, scoring the most medals ever at a European Championships. The squad collectively added 12 national records and wiped out the 2016 result of 6 gold, 8 silver and 4 bronze medals in London. Simona Quadarella swept the women’s 400m/800m/1500m freestyle events, while Margherita Panziera did damage across the backstrokes, including a new national record in the 200m distance.
Ben Proud notched a textile world record of 21.11 in teh 50m freestyle to notch gold in the British column, while Adam Peaty logged a world record with the fastest 100m breaststroke time ever of 57.10. The nation performed exceedingly well on the relays, as they took gold in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay, the mixed medley relay, the men’x 4x200m freestyle relay and men’s medley relay. GBR set championship records in all but the women’s 4x200m and the nation also clinched a new European Record in the mixed medley.
Hungary took the biggest fall of the top-tier nations, falling from the top dog in 2016 to just 4th here in Glasgow. Instead of reaping 19 overall medals as they did at the last edition of these championships, the nation captured just 9 medals in all, including a historic 200m IM 5-peat from its star Katinka Hosszu. But, with the typically monster-schedule swimmer scalling back her swims, the opportunity for more hardware was weakened.
Ireland got on the board this year with Shane Ryan‘s 50m backstroke bronze, while the nation of Russia trounced its 2016 performance where it only took home 2 medals overall. With that year’s European Championships taking place the same as the Olympics, the nation chose to prioritize Rio and the majority of its key players remained home training for that.
For Russia this year, however, 18-year-old Kliment Kolesnikov earned 6 medals overall for his nation, including individual wins in the 50m and 100m back, clocking a world record in the former. He was also a part of Russia’s men’s and mixed freestyle and medley relays, with the men’s 4x100m freestyle winning gold. Teammate Yuliya Efimova did her part as well, sweeping the women’s breaststroke events, while also notching quite possibly the fastest split ever in the women’s medley.