Could John Shortt Be the Breakout Swimmer of the Summer?
Nineteen-year-old Irishman John Shortt has been on a tear ever since the European Short Course Championships. Shortt, the current world junior record holder in the short-course 200 backstroke, has taken a majorleap this season. After big-time drops at the European Short Course Championships, Shortt will look to transition that success to the long-course pool, something he has already done a good amount of this summer.
Rankings
Shortt specializes in the 100 and 200 backstroke, where he currently sits seventh in the 100 back and third in the 200 back in Europe. The competition will be tough for Shortt at the European Championships, especially in the 100 distance. Thomas Ceccon, Hubert Kos, Apostolos Christou, Kliment Kolesnikov and Oliver Morgan are some of the best 100 backstrokers in the world. Even a great swim for Shortt would likely leave him off the podium, but a strong mark would be good for his progression in the event.
The 200 back is more in Shortt’s range. His back half is one of the best in the world, so if he can find some extra front-end speed, it would help his races all around. The 200 back hand Shortt just as big of a challenge. Kos, Apostolos Siskos, and Roman Mityukov are his biggest threats. Unlike the 100 distance, however, Shortt is a podium contender. Anything in the 1:54 range would place him in the mix for at least a bronze medal.
This summer, Shortt has been far from shy in competing at big meets. He raced at the Canet stop of the Mare Nostrum Tour, where he finished fifth in the 100 back and second in the 200 back. He also just recently competed at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome, where he finished second in the 200 back behind Mityukov.
Time Drops
As a 19-year-old, the drops have come fast for Shortt. In the short course pool, Shortt dropped almost four seconds from the year prior, en route to his world junior record of 1:47.89. The 100 back saw a drop of one second. At the Irish Championships in April, he was about 0.6 seconds faster than he was the season prior in the 100 and 0.5 seconds faster in the 200. With Shortt dominating the Irish Trials, it is unknown as to whether he had a full taper for this meet.
The drops during the short course suggest there is plenty more to come at the European Championships. His in-season swims this summer have also been faster than ever. His time of 1:56.74 in the 200 backstroke from Canet is over a second faster than he was in May 2025. This is another great sign that there are more drops to come.
In order for Shortt to drop more time, he will have to take his races out faster. A strong field in the 100 back in Canet saw him flip seventh at the 50. His final 50 was the second fastest. In a field as strong as the European Championships, the race will be over before it’s begun if Shortt is not in it at the first turn.
Realistic Expectations
For someone as young as Shortt, it is tough to know how they will perform on the big stage. The World Championships last summer were a good test for Shortt to race at an international long course competition. He will look to take that experience and build on it at this year’s European Championships.
Shortt’s career is just getting started, and it would not be a surprise to see him contend for Olympic medals in the future. For now, Shortt can use Euros as a stepping stone, especially in the 200 back. He is a real medal threat in the event. It is unlikely he can beat Kos or Siskos, but third place is up for grabs. Any place in the top eight of the 100 back would be a big step up as well. After placing 26th at last year’s World Championships, a top eight placing for Shortt would be a massive breakthrough. If Shortt can transition his short course performances to the long course pool, there is no doubt he will have a major breakthrough this summer.