Brilliant Bronze for Shortt; Davison Advances to European Final in Lifetime Best Performance

John Shortt has won Ireland’s first medal at the 2025 European Junior Championships in Samorin, Slovakia, securing bronze in the 200m Backstroke in a thrilling final, while Grace Davison won her semi-final to advance to the 100m Freestyle Final as second fastest qualifier. 

As the temperate started to cool in Samorin, the racing began to heat up as the muchly anticipated 200m Backstroke Final took centre stage, with Ireland’s John Shortt heading to the middle lane to defend his title. The race did not disappoint with Shortt, Zsombor Racz (Hungary) and Daniele del Signore (Italy) serving up a thriller worthy of a European final, all three swimmers going stroke for stroke throughout four lengths of the pool.  

Shortt, whose main focus this Summer is the World Aquatics Championships later this month, led the race turning into the final length and into the last 50 metres, closely followed by the Hungarian and Italian. The Galway man eventually touched the wall in 1:58.45 to win Ireland’s first medal of the 2025 European Aquatics Junior Championships, and his third European Junior medal.  

Speaking directly after the final, Shortt said: “I won’t lie, I’m disappointed, you know I wanted to win that, and I didn’t, but that happens, it’s very hard. The first 100m was good, I really smashed off the lane rope in the third 50, kind of lost my balance from there, this is sport, it’s not a constant high.” 

The National Centre (Limerick) man, who was well represented in the stands, added: “I’m sorry I couldn’t get this gold medal for them, they deserve it as much as I do, but I promise I’ll be back and at worlds I’m going to smash it, I’ll be back. Medals are so nice to get on days like this but it’s all about wearing that green jacket, I’m so proud to be doing that.” 

Earlier in the session Grace Davison secured her second European final this week, this time in the 100m Freestyle, going sub-55 seconds for the first time in 54.95, a new lifetime best for the Ards swimmer.  

The Paris Olympian heads into tomorrow night’s final as second fastest qualifier.  

Following the race, Davison said: “I’m super excited, I didn’t think I would go under 55 (seconds), now it’s just about rest and recovery, I have the 200 IM in the morning and hopefully I have a double tomorrow night. I’m really looking forward to the 200 IM, even before coming into this week the 200 IM was the main one for me, so to be going into the 100 Free Final in second is super exciting.”  

Davison added: “I’m so happy, as I said earlier the 100m Freestyle has been a bit of a mental block for me this year as I haven’t trained for it nearly as much as last year, last year there was so much pressure and focus on it, so this year it was trying to get back to that. I was quite sick in February and March, the Trials (Irish Open) didn’t go well but it’s been an uphill battle from then. It’s so worth it to even to go that time in the semi-final, I’m so happy.”  

The 2024 European Junior bronze medallist spoke on defending that medal “I felt pressure, just from myself knowing last year I was bronze, I felt like I had to improve on that. I know already I have the time so that blows the cobwebs away so tomorrow night it’s not about the race, and that’s just a bit of fun.” 

There is another bumper morning ahead for Ireland with Irish swimmers competing in eight events across the morning, including Shortt (100m Backstroke) and Davison (200 IM) suiting up once again. 

European Aquatics Junior Championships Day 4 Results   

Men 200m Backstroke Final                              John Shortt, H 1:59.41 (1), SF 1:58.12 (1), F 1:58.45 (3) 

Women 100m Freestyle                                             Grace Davison, H 55.35 (2), SF 54.95 (3) 

Men 400m IM                                                                         Phelim Hanley, 4:31.38 (PB)  

Mixed 4×100m Medley Relay                                   Ireland, 4:03.30  

Women 800m Freestyle                                             Clare Custer, 8:59.21  

Men 800m Freestyle                                                     Denis O’Brien 8:25.99, Tadhg O’Brien 8:36.12 (PB) 

European Aquatics Junior Championships Day 5 Schedule 

Men 100m Freestyle                                                Rueben Alty, Matthew Hamilton 

Women 100m Backstroke                                      Adeline Cloutier 

Men 100m Breaststroke                                          Adam Bradley 

Women 100m Breaststroke                                    Niamh Connery, Ava Jones 

Men 100m Backstroke                                            John Shortt 

Men 50m Butterly                                                    Thomas Bugler, Matthew Hamilton 

Women 200m IM                                                     Lucy O’Brien, Grace Davison 

Men 4x200m Freestyle Relay                                Ireland 

Women 100m Freestyle Final                                Grace Davison 

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