Blocksidge went ahead after 300m and maintained her lead thereafter to stop the clock in 16:10.23 \u2013 matching the PB she recorded en-route to the title at the 2024 edition.<\/p>\n
Vivien Jackl\u00a0<\/strong>kept closest to the Briton up to the 1,000m mark but then slipped back as Emma Gianelli<\/strong> took up the challenge.\u00a0However, although the Italian narrowed the gap to 2.67 after 1150m she could not get any closer as Blocksidge powered on. Gianelli was second in 16:13.11 with Jackl third in 16:17.42.<\/p>\n Blocksidge is the third-fastest British woman all-time with Jazz Carlin<\/strong> the sole swimmer inside 16mins with her 15:47.26 from the national championships in 2013, two years after Keri-anne Payne<\/strong> went 16:06.67.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was such a fight out there,\u201d Blocksidge told\u00a0European Aquatics<\/em>. \u201cI know that race brings out the best in me as that was my best time this season. I haven\u2019t done a PB (personal best) in about a year and a half so that will give me a lot of confidence. I\u2019ve had to adapt a little out here as I\u2019ve never raced outdoors in a pool before but to be honest I\u2019m really enjoying it, getting a bit of a tan and trying not to burn!”<\/p>\n Spain mixed 4×100 free: Photo Courtesy: Istvan Derencsenyi\/European Aquatics<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Spain<\/strong> won the mixed 4×1 free in a Championship record of 3:27.69 following a 48.14 lead-off from Luka Hoek le Guenedal.<\/strong>\u00a0Great Britain took silver in 3:29.06 ahead of the defending champions Italy on 3:29.37.<\/p>\n Hoek le Guenedal <\/strong>split 22.74\/25.40 to register a time swifter than the Spanish national record of 48.34 set by Sergio de Celis at the national winter championships in February 2024. While it’s faster than the record time, it’s unclear as to whether it’ll be recognised as a national standard given it was achieved in a mixed relay and World Aquatics don’t recognise world or world junior records in such circumstances. European Aquatics confirmed to Swimming World this is also the case in European competition.<\/p>\n The quartet’s time was just 0.17 off the national record of 3:27.52 at the 2022 European Championships where Spain finished eighth.<\/p>\n Great Britain<\/strong> took silver in 3:29.06 ahead of the defending champions Italy<\/strong> on 3:29.37.<\/p>\n Blythe Kinsman<\/strong> claimed the second British title of the meet with a 27.79 victory in the 50 back. It was a PB and maiden crown for Kinsman ahead of \u00a0Denmark\u2019s 18-year-old Martine Damborg<\/strong> (28.18) with Daria-Mariuca Silisteanu<\/strong> of Romania earning bronze in 28.26.<\/p>\n Hungary\u2019s 16-year-old David Antal<\/strong> upgraded Vilnius bronze to gold after a 30.10 final 50 propelled him from fourth to first in a 1:57.42 PB. Silver went Spain\u2019s Isak Fernandez Rodrigo<\/strong> in 1:58.39 after leading from lane seven until the 150 before hanging on to claim second place by 0.01sec from Turkiye\u2019s Tuncer Erturk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Hungary has produced a long line of butterfly swimmers who take their place at the very top table, Kristof Milak<\/strong> and Laszlo Cseh<\/strong> among them over the last 15 years.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe in legacy because I think Kristof Milak was just like me here one time with the junior record, but he is a hero to me,” said Antal. “I think this result and the people in the crowd has really hyped me up with all the support here.\u201d<\/p>\n Austria\u2019s Christian Giefing<\/strong> won the men\u2019s 200m freestyle in a race that was decided on the final stroke between himself, Lithuania\u2019s Tajus Juska<\/strong> and Sander Sorensen<\/strong> of Norway.<\/p>\n Giefing won gold in a personal best of 1:46.88 to move second all-time in Austria behind Felix Aubock with Juska silver on 1:47.03 and Sorensen taking bronze on 1:47.47.<\/p>\n Bianca Nannucci<\/strong> earned Italy\u2019s second gold of the championships in the women\u2019s 200m freestyle with a superbly judged final effort which took her from fourth to first over the final 50 metres.<\/p>\n Last at the halfway point, the 17-year-old Italian \u2013 who qualified fastest from the semi-finals \u2013 powered down the final stretch to clock 1:58.41. Maria Daza Garcia<\/strong> of Spain came from fifth to second in 1:58.97\u00a0with bronze going to neutral athlete Sofia Diakova<\/strong> in 1:59.09.<\/p>\n The men\u2019s 50m back title went to neutral athlete Georgii Iakovlev<\/strong> in 25.04, with fellow neutral athlete Mikhail Shcherbakov<\/strong> taking bronze in 25.30.\u00a0Italy\u2019s Daniele del Signore,<\/strong> a gold medallist in the previous evening\u2019s men\u2019s 4x100m freestyle, added a silver to his collection after clocking 25.25.<\/p>\n Smilte Plytnykaite<\/strong> defended her 50m breaststroke title by 0.03 from Estonia\u2019s Egle Salu<\/strong> in\u00a0 31.16 to 31.19.\u00a0Bronze went to Spain\u2019s Nayara Pineda Lopez<\/strong> in 31.26.<\/p>\n Turkiye\u2019s Nusrat Allahverdi<\/strong> also made a successful defence in the men\u2019s 50m breaststroke, surging ahead in the closing stages to clock 27.24, with Great Britain\u2019s Filip Nowacki<\/strong> earned silver with a late, late effort in 27.61 ahead of Germany\u2019s Jan Malte Grafe<\/strong>, who took bronze in 27.77.<\/p>\nSpain Set Relay CR After 48.14 Lead-Off<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Spain-4x1-free-1-700x500.png\")
Giefing Gets The Touch<\/h3>\n