Through the first two days of the 2026 European Swimming Championships we’ve seen multiple competition, national and even European Records bite the dust and day three is shaping up to be no different.
During this morning’s heats of the women’s 200m freestyle, Lithuanian athlete Ieva Jurkunaite established a new lifetime best and national standard en route to capturing the 2nd seed for tonight’s semi-finals.
Just 16 years of age, Jurkunaite fired off a time of 1:57.28 to stake her claim on the event. Only Czech national record holder and defending European Championships gold medalist Barbora Seemanova was faster, hitting 1:57.10 as the top-seeded swimmer.
As for Jurkunaite, the teen delved under the 1:58 barrier for the first time in her young career, hacking over a second off her former PB and national benchmark of 1:58.62. That former standard was put up just this past April at the Lithuanian Championships.
Comparing her splits, Jurkunaite attacked this morning’s race from the get-go, ripping a front half of 56.48 compared to the 58.94 with which she opened a few months ago.
Jurkunaite’s New LTU NR – 1:57.28
Jurkunaite’s Old LTU NR – 1:58.62
26.96
28.07
29.52 (56.48)
30.87 (58.94)
30.31
30.17
30.49
29.51
For perspective, Jurkunaite’s 1:57.28 outing would rank her as the 6th-best American 16-year-old girl performer of all time.
This 2free represents Jurkunaite’s, a multiple European Junior Championships relay medalist, second national record. She set the 400m free record of 4:15.53 at the aforementioned Lithuanian Championships this year.
We’ll see what she has in store for tonight’s final, as the likes of 17-year-old Linda Roth of Germany, on-fire Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands and British ace Freya Colbert lurk among the contenders.
Women’s 200m Freestyle Heats
World Record: 1:52.23 – Ariarne Titmus, Australia (2024)
European Record: 1:52.98 – Federica Pellegrini, Italy (2009)
Championship Record: 1:54.95 – Charlotte Bonnet, France (2018)
2025 World Champion: Mollie O’Callaghan(AUS), 1:53.48
2024 European Champion: Barbara Seemanova (CZE), 1:55.37
Top 16 Qualifiers:
Barbora SEEMANOVA (CZE) – 1:57.10
Ieva JURKUNAITE (LTU) – 1:57.28
Linda ROTH (GER) 1:57.60
Marrit STEENBERGEN (NED) – 1:58.00
Sarah DUMONT (BEL) – 1:58.40
Ainhoa CAMPABADAL AMEZCUA (ESP) – 1:58.46
Francisca SOARES MARTINS (POR) – 1:58.56
Bianca NANNUCCI (ITA) – 1:58.63
Freya COLBERT (GBR) – 1:58.66
Daria GOLOVATY (ISR) – 1:58.72
Anna Chiara MASCOLO (ITA) – 1:58.73
Nikolett PADAR (HUN) – 1:58.81
Imani DE JONG (NED) – 1:58.92
Maya TOBEHN (GER) – 1:58.95
Leah SCHLOSSHAN (GBR) – 1:59.13
Iris Julia BERGER (AUT) – 1:59.19