Vekovishchev Shatters Personal Russian Age Group 400 Free Record in 3:44.58

2026 EUROPEAN JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

BOYS 400 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 3:42.82, Zhang Zhanshuo (CHN), 2025
• European Junior Record: 3:44.31, Petar Mitsin (BUL), 2023
• Championship Record: 3:44.31, Petar Mitsin (BUL), 2023
• 2025 European Junior Champion: Gregorii Vekovishchev (NA), 3:48.71

GOLD – Grigorii Vekovishchev (NA), 3:44.58
SILVER – Oliver Papai (HUN), 3:47.88
BRONZE – Christian Giefing (AUT), 3:47.92

Grigorii Vekovishchev swam the #2 time ever by a European junior within the 400 free tonight, clocking 3:44.58 to decrease his personal Russian Age Group report by 1.58 seconds.

Vekovishchev is the reigning World Junior champion within the occasion courtesy of the three:46.64 he clocked on the meet in 2025, and lowered that point to three:46.16 on the Russian National Swimming Cup in April this 12 months. He additionally set the world junior report within the brief course 400 free in November, clocking 3:36.57.

He is now the Fifth-fastest junior in historical past within the 400 free.

Junior Men’s 400 Free, All-Time Top 5

1. Ian Thorpe (AUS) – 3:40.59 (2000)
2. Zhang Zhanshuo (CHN) – 3:42.82 (2025)
3. Park Tae Hwan (KOR) – 3:44.30 (2007)
4. Petar Mitsin (BUL) – 3:44.31 (2023)
5. Grigorii Vekovishchev (RUS) – 3:44.58 (2026)

Vekovishchev was out quick tonight, clocking 53.55 on the 100m mark, however fell right down to second behind 16-year-old countryman Bogdan Toropkin on the subsequent 50 and remained second at midway, flipping in 1:50.94.

However, he then turned on the jets, splitting 28.38/28.79 on the subsequent two lengths to overtake his compatriot and lead by over a second heading into the ultimate 50. He then clocked 56.47, the second quickest closing 100 within the discipline, to shatter his private finest and take the win by properly over three seconds.

Oliver Papai and Christian Giefing had been locked in a battle behind him, separated by simply 0.04 on the finish, with Papai closing in 56.43 to Giefing’s 56.55. Toropkin fell to 4th in 3:49.61.

Vekovishchev now ranks because the #4 Russian swimmer in historical past, transferring up one spot as he overtakes 2015 world medalist Alexander Krasnykh.

Russian Men’s 400 Free, All-Time Top 5

1. Nikita Lobintsev – 3:43.45 (2008)
2. Yuriy Prilukov – 3:43.97 (2008)
3. Martin Malyutin – 3:44.18 (2021)
4. Grigorii Vekovishchev – 3:44.58 (2026)
5. Alexander Krasnykh – 3:45.55 (2019)

This is Vekovishchev’s second particular person title of the meet, having received the 800 free in 7:52.31 yesterday. He additionally completed Fifth within the 200 free remaining after main the semi-finals in 1:45.75, which might have been simply 0.07 seconds off gold within the remaining.

He did cut up a speedy 1:45.72 to anchor the 4×200 free relay to gold in a brand new European junior report of seven:09.16, lower than a second off the USA’s world junior report of seven:08.37.

Vekovishchev is the eighth-fastest man on the earth up to now this season, 0.01 seconds quicker than Germany’s Johannes Liebmann.