Mykhailo Romanchuk is a Ukrainian distance freestyle specialist who won 2 medals at the 2020 Olympic Games.
For a time, the 2016 Olympian trains in Belek, Turkey at the international swim club Energy Standard under the British former world champion, James Gibson. The Gloria Sports Arena, where Romanchuk trains alongside notable names like Chad le Clos and Evgeny Rylov, is considered one of the best training centres in Europe.
International Career
Romanchuk first made a name for himself on the international stage in 2014 at the Youth Olympic Games where he won gold in the 400 meter freestyle and silver in the 800 meter freestyle. But it wasn’t long before he was making waves as a senior swimmer.
2015 FINA World Championships
In Kazan, Romanchuk reached the final in the 1500 meter freestyle where he finished 7th in 15:09.77.
2016 European Championships
A couple of months before the Rio Olympics, Romanchuk was in London for the European Championships. At the meet he won a pair of bronze medals both in new best times. The first came in the 1500 meter freestyle where he finished behind Italian swimmers Gregorio Paltrinieri and Gabriele Detti in 14:50.33. His next bronze came in the 800 meter freestyle where the podium was identical to the 1500 meter freestyle earlier in the week. Romanchuk finished in 7:47.99.
2016 Rio Olympic Games
At his Olympic debut in Rio, Romanchuk was left disappointed after he failed to make the final in the 1500 meter freestyle. he finished 15th overall in 15:01.35.
Post Rio
After the disappointment in Rio, Romanchuk hit the World Cup Circuit where he dominated the distance event. He won the 1500 meter freestyle at three consecutive World Cup meets including the meet where he swam the third fastest 1500 short course meter freestyle of all time in 14:15.49 to break Paltrinieri’s World Cup record.
2017 World Championships
Romanchuk won the silver medal in the 1,500 meter freestyle behind Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri in 14:37.14. He stuck by the defending World Champion the entire distance to finish just over a second behind.
2017 SCM European Championships
Romanchuk won the 1500 in a dominating fashion in Copenhagen, Denmark. He took the title in 14:14.59 and beat Paltrinieri, who came in second, by more than eight seconds.
2018 European Championships
Romanchuk had a lights out meet in Glasgow, going 3-for-3 for medals in the 400-1500. In the 1500, he took silver (14:36.88) in a tight battle with German Florian Wellbrook. In the 400, he bested the field by nearly 2 seconds (3:45.18). To conclude the meet, he earned another win in the 800, this time by over 2 seconds, in 7:42.96.
2018 Short Course World Championships
To cap off his 2018, Romanchuk secured a win in Hangzhou in the 1500, going head-to-head with Gregorio Paltrinieri and besting him once again. His time of 14:09.14 was a new championship and national record.
2019 World Championships
After forgoing the 800 free, Romanchuk backed up his silver medal from 2017 with another one, this time behind Florian Wellbrock and ahead of Greg Paltrinieri in a time of 14:37.63.
2021 European Championships (Budapest, Hungary)
Romanchuk swept the distances in Budapest, taking gold in both the 800 (7:42.61) and 1500 (14:39.89), knocking off Italy’s Greg Paltrinieri in both.
2020 Olympic Games
Romanchuk started his 2nd Olympics by earning his first medal, touching for 3rd in the 800 free to earn bronze. In the 1,500, Romanchuk followed that up with a silver in the 1500, swimming a smart race and surging to the wall in the last 50 to pass Germany’s Florian Wellbrock to touch 2nd.
2021 Short Course World Championships
Romanchuk came into Abu Dhabi as the defending SC world champion in the 1500, and although he didn’t defend that title, he did still make it onto the podium. In a race that saw Florian Wellbrock break the world record at 14:06.88, Romanchuk touched for 3rd in a time of 14:11.47, behind only Wellbrock and Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui.
2022 World Championships
Romanchuk started his meet in the 800 free, putting himself in a good position in prelims by topping the field. In the final, Romanchuk placed 3rd overall, clocking a new PR and Ukrainian record of 7:40.05 to earn bronze.
