By Will Baxley on SwimSwam
European Aquatics Open Water Swimming Championships Stari Grad 2025
May 28-31, 2025 Stari Grad, Croatia Entry ListEuropean Aquatics will kick off its Open Water Swimming Championships this Wednesday, May 28, in Stari Grad, Croatia.
Before getting into the top names to look out for, it’s worth noting some event changes. Last year in Belgrade, this meet offered the 5k, 10k, 25k and a mixed relay. This year, the 25k will not be swum. In its place stands the 3k knockout event, a segmented 1500-1000-500 swim in which swimmers from the bottom of the pack after each segment are knocked out while the rest of the swimmers advance. The strategic race was added to the Open Water World Cup last month, and it has now found its way into the European Championships as well.
Competition at this meet could rival that of the 2025 World Championships in Singapore in July. Europe dominates professional open water swimming, particularly on the men’s side where the top nine ranked swimmers in the world all hail from the continent.
Men’s Preview
Names leading the men’s meet include the powerful Hungarian duo of Kristof Rasovszky and David Betlehem. The former has a target on his back, as he’s the reigning World and Olympic champion in the 10k. Last month, moreover, Rasovszky had a strong showing in the pool at Hungarian nationals, including a national record in the 400 free. Betlehem, who won 5k gold in Belgrade, looks to be a strong threat in the same event. In the 10k, meanwhile, he’ll look to bounce back from a 34th place finish at the most recent World Cup stop. Both swimmers are set to swim all four events.
Italy comes into Stari Grad riding a wave of momentum. Gregorio Paltrinieri, last year’s 10k champion, will defend his title this week. His teammates, Andrea Filadelli and Dario Verani, who just went 1-2 at the World Cup 10k, will join him.
French mainstays Marc-Antoine Olivier and Logan Fontaine will also be in the mix. Fontaine, who’s ranked #2 in the world behind Rasovszky, has a busy week that includes all four events. Antoine-Olivier, who picked up three minor medals in Belgrade, lightened his load to just the 10k and 3k this year.
Two of Germany’s biggest names in open water, Florian Wellbrock and Oliver Klemet, will not compete in Stari Grad.
Women’s Preview
Sharon Van Rouwendaal and Leonie Beck, who together swept the European/World/Olympic golds for the 5k and 10k in 2024, will not compete this week. In their absence, Stari Grad presents an opportunity for several women to break out and win their first individual gold at a meet of this caliber.
One of the top candidates to top podium(s) this week has to be Ginevra Taddeucci. The 28-year-old has been consistently performing near the top of the pack. Last year she earned a silver in the European Championship 5k and a bronze at the Olympics. She added several top three finishes to her resume at the 2024 and 2025 world cups. She’ll be a factor in all four events this week.
Hungary has a strong gold medal contender in Bettina Fabian. The 20-year-old athlete ranks #3 in the world, highlighted by a bronze in the 5k at this meet last year and a 5th place finish in Paris. Fabian carried that momentum into the World Cup stop in Ibiza last month, earning 3rd in the 10k. She will swim all four events in Croatia.
In her teammate Beck’s absence, Lea Boy could step up to lead the German women. Boy won the 3k knockout at its World Cup debut in April, so she has experience and momentum on her side in a race that everyone’s still figuring out tactically.
Besides Van Rouwendaal and Beck, three other European women ranked in the top 10 globally will not compete. #6 Caroline Laure Jouisse (FR), #8 Angelica Andre (PT), and #10 Angela Martinez (ES) all do not show up on the entry sheet.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2025 European Open Water Championships Preview
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 2025 European Open Water Championships Preview )
Also on site :