Lublin 2025: Steenbergen completes “double double” of European record wins on day 5

Marrit Steenbergen of The Netherlands secured a Lublin 2025 double double on day 5 as she added the women’s 200m medley and 100m freestyle titles to the 100m medley and 200m freestyle titles she had earned two days earlier – with all four wins coming in European and Championship records.

It was an astonishing performance from a woman who will forever be remembered in connection with the 23rd European Aquatics Short Course Swimming Championships.

Elsewhere on an evening where the Aqua Lublin atmosphere reached new levels of excitement Hungary’s Zalan Sarkany, beaten to 1500m freestyle gold by Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen, exacted revenge in the men’s 800m freestyle, while France’s Maxime Grousset and Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez won men’s 100m freestyle and 200m medley titles respectively.

In her opening challenge of the evening Steenbergen took the 100m individual medley final on from the start, transitioning from butterfly to backstroke with a lead of 0.27 and extending that figure to 2.28 – from Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko – as she moved into the stroke with which she has won successive world long course titles, clocking a European record of 2:01.83.

Gorbenko finished in 2:05.32 to earn her third bronze medal here following the 100m medley and 100m breaststroke, with Ireland’s Ellen Walshe taking over to secure silver in 2:04.78.

Steenbergen’s mark bettered the 2:01.86 set by Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu at Doha in 2014, and was just 0.20 shy of the world record set by Gretchen Walsh of the United States at last December’s World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest.

As on day three, Steenbergen was called into action just 10 minutes after her first medal ceremony of the night.

Italy’s 19-year-old Sara Curtis, who has earned relay gold and silver in Lublin – anchoring the mixed 4x50m freestyle team to a world record – led for the first length of the women’s 100m freestyle final, but thereafter the race was all about the Dutch athlete.

Steenbergen stopped the clock at 50.42, eclipsing the European mark of 50.58 set in 2017 by Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrum.

France’s Beryl Gasteldello came through for silver in 50.60, with Curtis claiming bronze in 51.26 ahead of Great Britain’s Eve Okaro on 51.63.

At the opening press conference Steenbergen had described herself as “curious” to see what she could do in short course racing. Things have got curiouser and curiouser for her as gold and records have followed gold and records…

Reflecting on her second night of high achievement, Steenbergen told European Aquatics: “Ha! Yes – this meet I only do doubles and it works apparently!

“It means a lot. On the second day I knew my shape was good but to be doing this means a lot. Swimming PBs and European records I didn’t expect to happen.

“To be honest I was not actually that confident when I went in (to the 200m individual medley), as the semi-final was pretty tough but I felt really strong and like I was flying so I was really happy with that.

“I was confident I could make it work (with the 200m IM medal presentation and 100m freestyle race so close) but during the ceremony I was getting nervous as I was thinking I want to be fast, but the adrenaline was high and it worked.

“Four European records, that’s insane, just now on the podium after the 100m free it hit me a little, I was getting a little emotional as it was my last individual race and I didn’t know I could do this, but I did and made it work and it was all even better than I thought.”

A day after finding the way to beat his Swiss rival Noe Ponti in short course racing at the third attempt Grousset added another gold with a committed effort in the men’s 100m freestyle, touching in 45.17.

Silver went to Croatia’s Jere Hribar in 45.64 with Great Britain’s Matt Richards, who only made the final after a swim-off, utilising all his top level experience to claim bronze in 45.82.

“I am very proud of myself,” Grousset said. “But I am still looking forward to European and world records. It was close. So maybe next year.”

Sarkany, who had 1500m gold taken away from him by Wiffen’s surge over the final 100m, was a man on a mission tonight, playing it again by taking early control of the race but, this time, resisting the late charge from his Irish rival and Belgium’s Lucas Henceaux to win in 7:26.84.

With three lengths to go the Irish swimmer – who set the current world record of 7:20.46 in winning this title at Otopeni two years ago – had narrowed the lead to 1.39. But Wiffen could do no more.

Henceaux took up challenge in the closing 50m, getting to within 1.19 of the Hungarian who won this event at last December’s world short course championships as they turned for home. It was not close enough, and he took silver in 7:28.03 as Wiffen – making his competitive return in Lublin after having his appendix out – earned his second bronze of these Championships in 7:30.14.

One place behind him Germany’s 18-year-old Johannes Liebmann, also fourth in the 400m freestyle in a world junior record of 3:37.39, confirmed his massive potential once again as he improved on the 800m freestyle world junior record of 7:30.94 he had set in qualifying by finishing in 7:30.47.

“Coming here I hoped for a swim like this though the time, almost three seconds off the national record, still stuns me,” Sarkany said. I followed the race plan my coach gave me and I think I could deliver it perfectly.

“We learnt a lot from the 1500m, what I should do to fend off Daniel’s surge and to keep the advantage I built this time.

“Well, I clinched the world title a year ago, had a great World Cup race in October, those gave me confidence to swim really well this final. Our plan worked and it’s a fantastic feeling to add the European gold to the world title.”

Wiffen commented: “Obviously I’m disappointed coming in third as world record holder. But I’m very happy, it’s been a long week and I’ve got three medals from three races, one of them gold. To come back from surgery and get medals here – I’m happy.”

Gold in the men’s 200m medley went to Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez, who provoked the inevitable monicker of “Speedy” from the poolside commentators as he followed through on his status as fastest qualifier, taking control of the race at the halfway point and coming home in 1:51.39.

Gonzalez commented: “I’m super happy, its my first medal. I never won anything at short course before, so it means the world to me, especially after last season when I didn’t qualify for the Worlds.

“It has been a challenging season and I changed my training groups and it’s been great to be back fighting with the best swimmers in the world.”

Italy’s Alberto Razzetti took silver in 1;52.05 with Turkiye’s Berke Saka earning bronze in 1:52.25 ahead of France’s Mewen Tomac, who clocked 1:52.79.

Katarzyna Wasick – who competed when these Championships were last held in Poland 14 years ago – gave Saturday night home fans an early reason to be cheerful as she won the opening race of the programme, the first women’s 50m freestyle emphatically in 23.30, which made her the fastest going into tomorrow evening’s final ahead of Curtis on 23.49.

Grousset is after more gold here. He stormed to the fastest men’s 50m freestyle semi-final time of 20.83, 0.02 faster than Italy’s Leonardo Deplano.

Meanwhile his Swiss rival Noe Ponti is teed up for a tumultuous finale tomorrow as he defends his men’s 200m butterfly title under pressure from Poland’s twin brothers Krzysztof and Michal Chmielewski.

Britain’s 100m backstroke champion Lauren Cox was fastest into the 50m backstroke final, where her challengers will include the multi-talented Curtis.

Denmark’s Helena Rosendahl Bach headed qualifiers for tomorrow’s women’s 200m butterfly in 2:04.37, while Italy’s Simone Cerasuolo and Olympic 100m breaststroke champion Nicolo Martinenghi were fastest into the 50m final along with Emre Sakci.

Estonia’s Ralf Tribuntsov was fastest into the men’s 50m backstroke in 22.63. And his 18-year-old team-mate Eneli Jefimova, who has already retained her 100m breaststroke title here, moved into the 50m breaststroke final as fastest qualifier in 29.00 ahead of Lithuania’s world champion and world record holder Ruta Meilutyte, who clocked 29.30.

Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics

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