{"id":616453,"date":"2025-07-05T20:20:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T03:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=616453"},"modified":"2025-07-05T20:56:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-06T03:56:06","slug":"kuzey-tuncelli-sets-championship-receives-presidential-acclaim-in-samorin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/kuzey-tuncelli-sets-championship-receives-presidential-acclaim-in-samorin\/","title":{"rendered":"Kuzey Tuncelli Sets Championship & Turkish Records In 800 Free; Receives Presidential Acclaim In Samorin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kuzey Tuncelli Sets Championship & Turkish Records In 800 Free; Receives Presidential Acclaim In Samorin<\/h4>\n

Kuzey Tuncelli<\/strong> posted championship and national records of 7:46.01 en-route to the 800 free title before returning less than 15 minutes later to anchor the Turkish 4×2 relay to bronze on the penultimate day of the European Junior Championships in Samorin.<\/p>\n

The 17-year-old was never seriously challenged over 16 lengths and came home to eclipse the Championship record of 7:47.45 held by Bulgaria\u2019s Petar Mitsin<\/strong>. Silver went to neutral athlete Grigorii Vekovishchev<\/strong> in 7:51.49, with Johannes Liebmann<\/strong> replicating his 2024 bronze in 7:54.09.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Kuzey Tuncelli: Photo Courtesy: Istvan Derencsenyi\/European Aquatics<\/p><\/div>\n

It was also a national record for the Turkiye swimmer as he made his first trip to 7:46 to lower his 7:47.29 standard from the Paris Olympics. With his time, Tuncelli became the eighth-fastest performer this year topped by Sven Schwarz’s<\/strong> 7:38.12 European record at the German Championships in May.<\/p>\n

The Olympic 1500 finalist returned less than 15 minutes later to split 1:51.03 as he brought Turkiye home to bronze in the relay. The quartet – who were led off by Ahmet Mete Boylu<\/strong> in 1:48.90 – posted 7:20.67 to finish third behind winners France – with Neo Dutriaux<\/strong> on a 1:47.22 anchor – and Italy where all four swimmers posted sub 1:50 to come home in 7:16.51.<\/p>\n

Tuncelli secured a third straight 1500 title on Thursday, going 14:45.05 despite being unrested and untapered with the Singapore worlds to come and having bruised his foot during training.<\/p>\n

\u201cActually I wanted to swim much better, but that\u2019s still a great time and I\u2019m happy with it,” Tuncelli said through European Aquatics. \u201cI am still feeling my foot a little bit, but that\u2019s OK. As for the relay \u2013 we train for this and we worked hard for it. Tomorrow I have a goal for the 400m freestyle. I hope it\u2019s going to be great. But now I need to rest after a long day!\u201d<\/p>\n

He was personally congratulated on his latest achievement by the visiting President of the Slovak Republic, Peter Pellegrini<\/strong>, and added: \u201cIt was so great. I was so thankful to him, I felt so happy when he shook my hand. It was an honour.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

l-r; Maria Daza Garcia, Albane Cachot, Grace Davison: Photo Courtesy: Istvan Derencsenyi\/European Aquatics<\/p><\/div>\n

Albane Cachot<\/strong> squeaked into the women’s 100 free final in lane one but the 17-year-old French swimmer went out hard from the start, turning with a lead of 0.27 over her Spanish rival and hanging on to claim gold in 54.17, with Maria Daza Garcia<\/strong> taking silver in 54.39 and Grace Davison<\/strong> adding another bronze to her collection in 54.80, an Irish record.<\/p>\n

Belgium’s Sarah Dumont<\/strong> made her move over the final 50 metres of the 200 fly, taking over the lead from neutral athlete Serafima Fokina<\/strong> to claim gold in 2:09.75. Fokina ended up with bronze in 2:11.56 as Britain\u2019s Edith Price<\/strong> finished strongly to claim silver in 2:10.42.<\/p>\n

The women\u2019s 800m title went to neutral athlete Sofia Diakova<\/strong>, who led throughout to clock 8:27.78, with silver going to Italy\u2019s 2024 bronze medallist Emma Gianelli<\/strong> in 8:29.65 and bronze to Britain\u2019s defending champion, 16-year-old Amelie Blocksidge<\/strong>, who clocked 8:33.78.<\/p>\n

In selected semifinal action, Filip Nowacki<\/strong> posted 59.96 for top seed in the 100m breaststroke, 0.04 off Adam Peaty’s<\/strong> British junior record of 59.92 from 2013.<\/p>\n

Lithuania\u2019s Tajus Juska<\/strong>, double gold medallist of the previous evening, will defend his men\u2019s 100m freestyle title as fastest qualifier in 49.06 with neutral athlete Georgii Iakovlev<\/strong> topped qualifying for the men\u2019s 100m backstroke final in 54.26<\/p>\n

Fellow Lithuanian Smilte Plytnykaite<\/strong> was fastest into the women\u2019s 100m breaststroke final on 1:07.40 and Spain\u2019s Sara Costa de Vicente<\/strong> was top qualifier in the women\u2019s 100m backstroke in 1:00.90.<\/p>\n