2025 in review: women’s swimming

Marrit Steenbergen of The Netherlands, Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania and Germany’s Anna Elendt flew the banner for European women with gold medal-winning performances at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.

Steenbergen, 25, retained the 100m freestyle title she had won in Doha the previous year as she clocked 52.55 to hold off the challenge of Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan, who recorded 52.67, and Torri Huske of the United States, who finished in 52.89.

She then helped The Netherlands to bronze in the women’s 4x100m freestyle before moving onwards to an astonishing performance at the European Aquatics Short Course Swimming Championships Lublin 2025.

Meilutyte won the world 50m breaststroke title for a fourth successive time, clocking 29.55 to finish clear of China’s Tang Qianting in 30.03.

Elendt set a national record of 1:05.19 as she took the 100m breaststroke title, with Kate Douglass of the United States second in 1:05.27 and Tang third in 1:05.64.

Italy’s Simona Quadarella produced a stand-out performance in the 1500m freestyle as she took silver in a European record of 15:31.79 behind Katie Ledecky of the United States.

Neutral athlete Evgeniia Chikunova earned silver in the 200m breaststroke, and 20-year-old Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium won 100m butterfly silver and 50m butterfly bronze.

Vanotterdijk had warmed up by taking three golds and two silvers at the EA U23 Championships in Samorin.

Belgium’s rising talent garnered more medals in December as she earned two silvers at the EA Short Course Swimming Championships in Lublin.

Steenbergen was the star turn in Lublin as she won five golds medals and set five European records. She won the 100m and 200m freestyle and the 100m and 200m medley before setting a European record with her opening backstroke leg which helped The Netherlands win the women’s 4x50m medley title.

Also twinkling was Denmark’s 18-year-old Martine Damborg, winner of two golds at the European Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Samorin, who stepped up to win the 50m and 100m butterfly titles, setting four European junior records in the process.

Germany’s Isabel Gose won the 400m and 800m freestyle titles in Lublin, the first in a European record of 3:54.33 and the latter in a Championship record 8:01.90, on both occasions holding off Quadarella, who went on to win 1500m gold.

Estonia’s 18-year-old Eneli Jefimova retained her 100m breaststroke title and beat Meilutyte to the 50m breaststroke title – one the Lithuanian had won four times in world short course championships.

Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics

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