By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam
2026 NCAA ‘A’ finalist in both breaststroke events Luka Mladenovic spoke to his home federation of Austria after competing at the meet. Mladenovic just finished his freshman season at Michigan but has already entered the NCAA transfer portal.
Mladenovic finished 8th in the 50 breast at the 2025 World Championships last summer before arriving in Ann Arbor this past fall. He also was 21st in prelims of the 200 breast.
“I think it’s really cool that things are going so well right now, although I can’t really explain why,” Mladenovic said. “Even before the World Championships in Singapore, I made a big leap in performance, built up muscle, and improved my technique. Since then, it’s been a steady upward trend.”
The freshman had a strong fall, highlighted by a 50.92 100 breast and a 1:51.99 200 breast at the CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge in November. Then in February, he swam to Big Ten titles and lifetime bests in both events with a 50.69 100 breast and a 1:49.34 200 breast. He finished his NCAA season at the NCAA Championships, finishing 3rd in the 200 breast with a 1:49.34 and a 5th place finish in the 100 breast with a 50.47 lifetime best.
Despite his best time and two ‘A’ finals, he still expected more. “I actually expected more at the NCAA Championships and I’m not entirely satisfied,” he said. “I can and definitely want to do more; there’s more in me. I need to learn not to let myself be influenced so much by others; that’s not good. It’s important to focus more on myself and do my own thing.”
When speaking on what he thinks he can improve on, he said, “I have no problem in the final stretches and meters; I’m getting faster and faster there. I lack speed at the beginning. I’m too timid and therefore too slow. I have to change that. There’s still a lot to improve before the European Championships—at the start, in the first half of the race, and at the turn. I can still get a lot more out of it.”
Just three days after finishing up competition at the 2026 NCAA Championships, Mladenovic entered the NCAA transfer portal. The Austrian Federation says that his first choice is Texas, although he does not know where he will end up. He also spoke on his experience this past year, “They promised me better conditions in Michigan. I lack competition here. There’s a lack of rivals on my tracks to help me improve. And the food isn’t good either. I absolutely have to lose a few kilos before the European Championships. The food here in the US, especially on campus, isn’t the best. You have to live in the dorms during your first year, and all they have here is burgers, pizza, and other fast food. That’s not sustainable.”
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