2026 European Championships Previews: Kolesnikov The Absolute Favourite In Men’s 50 Again

European Swimming Championships

BY THE NUMBERS – MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE

Men’s backstroke is extremely robust in Europe proper now, however the 50 will be the closest occasion of all. Apostolos Christou has received the final two titles, beating Thomas Ceccon in 2022 and Ksawery Masiuk in 2024, however the return of 2021 champion Kliment Kolesnikov might forestall him from making it three on the bounce.

While the title appears to be like like Kolesnikov’s, the battle for the medals will likely be fierce. There will likely be 15 males in attendance who’ve swum between 24.36 and 24.66 within the final 4 years, so opponents will have to be on it from the get-go – or face an earlier-than-expected elimination.

A Russian 1-2?

There appears to be like to be just one actual spot within the ultimate that you may predict with any sort of certainty. Kliment Kolesnikov is the present world report holder, reigning world champion, and by far the quickest man on the earth over the past three years.

There have been a complete of 13 swims beneath the 24-second barrier within the males’s 50 again, with ten coming from the Russian together with the world report of 23.55. His season finest time of 23.86 is 1 / 4 of a second forward of the #2 European swimmer this season, his teammate Pavel Samusenko, and one of many high ten performances in historical past.

His 50 again title final 12 months was his first lengthy course world title, however he took gold on the European Championships in 2021 in a time of 23.81. He set a World Championship report of 23.68 in Singapore final summer time, having posted a 23.90 on the Russian Championships. His performances this season have been proper on these he posted final season, and he needs to be properly beneath 24 seconds once more. No one else on this subject has executed that, and, till they do, Kolesnikov is the one selection for gold.

The swimmer who has come closest to the 24-second barrier is Kolesnikov’s teammate Pavel Samusenko. He got here inside a whisker of becoming a member of Kolesnikov with a 24.01 on the Russian Championships final season, earlier than tying for silver with Pieter Coetze on the World Championships in a time of 24.17.

He has been 24.12 thus far this season, only a tenth of a second off his finest and sooner than anybody within the subject besides Kolesnikov has ever swum. He has additional swims of 24.29, 24.33, and 24.35, on par together with his 24.25 and 24.26 in-season swims final 12 months, and was the quickest man on the earth within the brief course 50 again in 2025. Silver needs to be Samusenko’s to assert.

Tight Margins

Behind the Russian pair, there are seven swimmers with lifetime bests separated by simply seven hundredths of a second. Ollie Morgan is the quickest of these thus far this season with a 24.36, certainly one of solely three to set their lifetime finest this 12 months. He was solely simply off that point on the Commonwealth Games with a 24.48 for silver, however the 50 has at all times appeared somewhat brief for him.

He added time to overlook the ultimate on the World Championships final 12 months and has not too long ago moved coaching base from Birmingham to Manchester. Some day out of the water after the Aquatics GB Championships solely provides to the disrupted preparation, and he could be on the improper aspect of an in depth contact or two.

A nationwide report of twenty-two.85 within the brief course 50 in December was a very good signal, as was his PB within the lengthy course 50 in April, however his power is within the swimming portion of the race and coming from behind will likely be a battle on this subject.

Michele Lamberti broke a tie with Thomas Ceccon to assert outright possession of the Italian report with a 24.38 efficiency on the Italian Championships in April, and appears to be in his finest type for a few years. He broke out on the 2021 European Short Course Championships, setting a nationwide report within the 50 again that also stands as his finest time, however progress in lengthy course was somewhat slower.

He received a pair of relay medals on the European Championships 4 years in the past for his efforts within the heats, however he made the true leap in lengthy course on the 2024 Sette Colli. There, he set a finest and Italian report of 24.40 within the 50 again and a brand new better of 53.35 within the 100 again, however he did not push on final 12 months and missed the World Championships staff.

This 12 months he’s again at his finest and can swim the 50 again at a serious championship for simply the third time. He made the ultimate on the European Championships in 2022 and the World Championships in 2024, however is but to win a medal. If he can drop somewhat time, that might change.

Ceccon has had a quieter 12 months than his teammate, however owns a better of 24.40 from the 2022 European Championships. He received silver there, however that’s the solely medal he has received within the occasion. He was 4th on the 2022 World Championships, having initially received bronze earlier than Justin Ress’s DQ was overturned after the medal ceremony, positioned fifth in 2023, and has not swum it at a serious meet since.

He has been simply 24.95 thus far this season, and this doesn’t seem to be a spotlight occasion for him. He is best within the 100 again and doesn’t depend on uncooked velocity in the identical means a few of his opponents right here will do. A medal might be an extended shot, however he may very well be a doubt for the ultimate too.

Apostolos Christou received gold 4 years in the past in a time of 24.36 and defended his title in 2024 with a swim of 24.39, which stand as his quickest two performances. His fourth-fastest (he additionally clocked 24.39 on the 2022 World Championships) got here at this 12 months’s Sette Colli, the place he notched a time of 24.40 to take the win.

He positioned sixth on the World Championships final summer time in a time of 24.59, having been a barely faster 24.50 within the semi-finals. Christou has been sooner than that twice already this season, with a 24.46 from the Acropolis Swim Open in May in addition to his Sette Colli efficiency. He has been between 24.36 and 24.50 in all the earlier 5 seasons although, and it will in all probability be a shock to see him come by means of to take a spot on the rostrum.

Ksawery Masiuk received bronze on the world championships in 2022 on the age of 17, however is but to return to a world or Olympic podium since. He has had extra success on the European degree, successful medals in each the 50 again and 100 again in 2024. His lifetime finest stands at 24.41 from the World Championships final summer time, and he has been 24.47 already this season.

That is quicker than he was within the lead as much as final 12 months’s World Championships, the place he ended up inserting 4th in 24.51. Masiuk has been extremely constant over the past 4 years, with 11 swims between 24.41 and 24.51, however he might not have the additional gear to kick under that vary.

Miroslav Knedla was a World Junior and European Junior champion within the 50 again, however didn’t actually escape in lengthy course till final season when he completed ninth on the World Championships in 24.61. He has had a fair higher go at it this 12 months, decreasing his Czech report to 24.43 and successful silver on the European Short Course Championships in December.

Based on his enchancment curve, he might properly drop one other couple of tenths right down to 24-low, which might nearly actually garner him a medal. He knocked 0.12 seconds off his finest final season for his first PB since 2023 and has already sliced one other tenth off this season. Knedla appears exceptionally well-placed to probably leapfrog the remainder of this group of seven.

Finally, Russia’s Georgey Iakovlev ranks 4th within the European season rankings, however has the misfortune of getting to compete with Kolesnikov and Samusenko for the 2 out there spots within the semi-finals. He set a lifetime better of 24.38 on the Russian National Swimming Cup in April, half a second sooner than the 24.91 he swam to win gold on the World Junior Championships final summer time. He had clocked 24.55 on the 2025 Russian Championships earlier than including time in the summertime, and doing so once more would go away him far-off from difficult for the semi-finals.

In The Mix

The host nation’s Yohann Ndoye-Brouard is best suited to the opposite two backstroke distances, however clocked a 24.62 on the French Championships final season. He has robust closing velocity within the 100, which is able to show helpful in as tight a subject as this if he can switch that to the 50.

His season finest is simply 24.94 from the Austin cease of the Pro Swim Series in January, and he was properly off his lifetime bests on the French Championships with qualification all however assured. Expect him to be within the combine for the ultimate, however he might not have the drop-dead velocity required for the medal combat.

Mantas Kauspedas was simply seventh on the European Junior Swimming Championships final summer time in 25.63, however was over half a second sooner to put 18th on the World Championships in Singapore one month later. He has since dropped one other 4 tenths off that to set a brand new nationwide report of 24.54 on the Lithuanian Championships, and continues to be simply 18 years outdated. Putting collectively two or three swims at that degree will be the problem for the teen, but when he can achieve this within the semi-final he might upset some extra established names.

One of these is European Short Course champion Ralf Tribuntsov. He has damaged his Estonian report 3 times already this season to decrease it from 24.89 to 24.79, and was a European semi-finalist two years in the past. He is best within the brief pool although, and can battle to make it any additional than he did in 2024.

Jack Skerry was simply outdoors the medals on the Commonwealth Games as he completed 4th in 24.68, simply off his lifetime better of 24.66 set in April. He received European U23 gold within the 100 again final season, and is certainly one of three comparable swimmers within the 24.6 vary who’ve set PBs this season alongside Germany’s Vincent Passek (24.63) and Italy’s Francesco Lazzari (24.69).

One of the extra intriguing swimmers right here is Hubert Kos. He might have a giant schedule, with the 100 again, 200 again, 100 fly, and 200 to deal with, however he confirmed lights-out velocity in yards throughout the NCAA season and will undoubtedly undercut his season better of 24.74. He set a Hungarian report of 24.50 within the semi-finals on the World Championships final summer time, however that is undoubtedly the weakest of the three distances for him.

SwimSwam’s Picks

Dark Horse – Robert Pedersen (DEN)

Another younger swimmer who has dropped time already this season, Robert Pedersen has lowered his nationwide report from 24.89 to 24.66. He had a profitable brief course season, setting the Danish report within the 50 again with a 22.94 within the ultimate on the European Short Course Championships, and may have his eyes on one other top-eight end right here.