2026 European Championships Previews: Can Sjostrom Reclaim Her World Record In Women’s 50 Free? ...Middle East

By Sam Blacker on SwimSwam

European Swimming Championships

BY THE NUMBERS – WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE

Last year saw no European women finish on the podium at the World Championships in the 50 free – the first time that has happened this century. Sarah Sjostrom sat out the season, with her son Adrian being born last August, but Kasia Wasick and Milou van Wijk both added time at Worlds to miss the medals.

This year, there has been a resurgence. Three women are under 24.1, with another two under 24.4. Sjostrom looks almost back in peak form already, and the podium will be hard-fought.

A Trio In Form

Between the two, Sweden and the Netherlands have taken home just under half of the world championships medals in the women’s 50 free this century with ten apiece. Sarah Sjostrom has won six of those herself, topping the podium in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and the last podium not to feature her prior to the 2025 World Championships was all the way back in 2013 when she placed 4th.

Her world record has been snatched away from her this year by Kate Douglass, and she sits at #3 in both the all-time and season rankings. She notched her lifetime best of 23.61 in the semi-finals of the 2023 World Championships, before winning gold in 23.62. She was right on that time at both the 2024 World Championships (23.69) and the 2024 Olympic Games (23.71), and already has a blistering 23.86 to her name already this season.

She posted that at the Sette Colli at the end of June, just ten months after giving birth. That ranks as the 30th-fastest swim in history, and only eight women – Sjostrom included – have ever been faster. With another month and a half to return to peak form, she could be right back at her PB.

Sjostrom has swum the 50 free at the European Championships just twice in the last 10 years, winning gold both times. She edged out Pernille Blume 23.74 to 23.75 in 2018, before claiming a more comfortable win in 2022 with a 23.91. She has only been beaten in one major 50 free race in the 2020s, taking silver behind Emma McKeon at the Tokyo Olympics, but has not looked like losing since. The fact she is nearly back in peak form already makes it likely that her streak will continue.

There will be two women whose aim it will be to make this final more like the 2018 edition than the 2022 edition for Sjostrom . The first, Sara Curtis recently wrapped up a fantastic freshman season at the University of Virginia, which included becoming the fastest freshman in history in the 50 free and 100 free. She was already the Italian record holder in the 50 free, 100 free, and 50 back before her move Stateside, and has translated her short course form back into meters superbly so far this long course season.

She lowered her 50 free best to 24.29 in the heats at the Italian Championships in April, then reset the Italian record again with a 24.09 at the Sette Colli in June. That gives her a 0.33 second drop in the event so far this season, and she has already tasted continental success in the event after winning silver at the European Short Course Championships in December.

Curtis did not swim at the 2024 edition, instead winning gold at the European Junior Championships in 24.68 before making the semi-finals at the Paris Olympics, placing 14th in 24.77. She moved up to 9th last year in 24.48, adding slightly from her season best, but looks in fearsome form and has dropped time from the Italian Championships to the Sette Colli this year – something she did not do in 2025.

She is the most likely swimmer to challenge Sjostrom and dip under 24 seconds. This race could be a sliding doors moment for the pair.

The second is Dutch swimmer Marrit Steenbergen, who has been on an historic tear in the 100 free but also dropped a few tenths in the 50 to clock 24.09 at Dutch Trials at the start of July. She placed 12th in Singapore last summer in 24.61, the exact same time she clocked at the 2023 World Championships, but this event has not often been a focus for her.

She is the only one of the top contenders who has an “if” around their participation. She is a serious medal contender if she does swim it, as probably the most in-form swimmer in Europe, but she has plenty of other events where she has a shot at a podium as well.

Eyeing Up The Podium

Steenbergen’s teammate Milou Van Wijk set her lifetime best of 24.23 at the European U23 Championships last summer, but her season best of 24.33 stands as her second-fastest swim ever. She was 5th at the World Championships last summer in 24.47, and has multiple swims in the 24-mid range this season in addition to her 24.33.

She had no issues at her first senior international meet at the Singapore World Championships, placing 4th in the 100 free and winning a medal on the women’s 4×100 free relay. She looks best placed of anyone outside the top three, except perhaps Wasick, to drop to 24-low and challenge for the podium.

Eva Okaro and Theodora Taylor both clocked lifetime bests in the 50 free at the Aquatics GB Championships this year, posting times of 24.42 and 24.59 respectively. Okaro was the 2025 British champion as well, and is coming off a strong NCAA season with Texas. She set a world junior record in short course at the 2024 World Championships but was slower at the European Short Course Championships in December, placing 7th in 23.86.

Okaro has withdrawn from the meet, removing a potential finalist from the field. One swimmer to benefit could be her younger teammate Taylor, the reigning European Junior champion and World Junior silver medalist in the 50 free. This summer is her first taste of senior international meets, having just come off a successful Commonwealth Games. She has dialled in on freestyle this year, dropping from 24.72 to 24.59 but also throwing down some rapid 100 free splits, and seeing her in the final would not be a shock.

Kasia Wasick is the second-fastest active European women, thanks to the 23.95 she swam for bronze at the 2024 World Championships. That is her only swim under 24 seconds, but she has consistently been 24-low in recent years and won gold at the European Short Course Championships in December.

She hasn’t always hit her best in major finals though, adding time from her in-season times last summer to finish 8th in 24.74 and at the Paris Olympics to place 5th in 24.33. She is the silver medalist from the 2021 and 2022 editions though, so has form for making the podium at this meet.

Wasick’s season best stands at 24.38 from the Indianapolis stop of the Pro Swim Series in June, and she won gold at the European Short Course Championships in a time of 23.20 in December. Curtis probably has more momentum than Wasick does, but in a 50 free shootout she should feel she can get the edge on Steenbergen.

Outside Shots

Beryl Gastaldello ranks outside the top ten this season, but as the reigning European short course silver medalist and with a best of 24.49, she should not be counted out. She was elite during the 2021 ISL season in short course, but never quite kicked on in long course over the next few years, but then made the 100 back final at her home Olympics and had some outstanding swims in short course at the 2024 World Championships and 2025 European Championships. She was only 4th at the French Elite Championships in 24.91, but is due a drop.

Mary-Ambre Moluh made more noise in backstroke at those same championships, but a new best of 24.68 in the 50 free makes her a potential threat here as well. Fellow backstroker Analia Pigre was just behind her in 24.73. They are probably on the outside looking in with regards to the final, but could play spoiler.

Valerie van Roon and Florine Gaspard both rank in the top ten this season at 24.60 and 24.59 respectively, but Gaspard is far more likely to make it through the heats. With van Roon needing to beat one of van Wijk and Steenbergen to qualify for the semi-finals, her journey will likely end in the heats while Gaspard could be a finalist. The Belgian has a season best of 24.59 but set the Belgian record with a 24.42 last April, and placed 7th at last year’s World Championships in 24.63.

Arina Surkova and Alina Gaifutdinova both clocked 24.6s at the Russian Championships, Surkova getting the better of her younger teammate 24.60 to 24.68. Neither has a great deal of international experience, but Gaifutdinova has set several lifetime bests this season and both will be in the mix.

Lilian Slusna missed the final at the 2024 European Championships and placed 24th at the 2025 World Championships, but has hacked half a second off her lifetime best since to set a Slovak record of 24.67. Another couple of tenths would put her in the mix for the final. Neza Klancar, who owns the Slovenian national record of 24.35 from her 6th-place finish at the Paris Olympics, sat out last season but has already returned to the 24s with a 24.72 at the Sette Colli.

SwimSwam’s Picks

Dark Horse – Kalia Antoniou (CYP)

Antoniou placed 6th at this meet two years ago in 25.13, just off the Cypriot record of 24.96 she clocked at the 2024 World Championships earlier that year. She did not lower that mark until May this year, when she set a new record of 24.83 at the Sacramento stop of the Pro Swim Series, and she has also set new national marks in the short course 50 free and 100 free this season. It may take another drop to get there, but she seems to be rounding into form at the right time 

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