Five countries — Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Spain and Switzerland — earned their first gold medals of the Championships on Wednesday, while Italy and the Netherlands added their second titles during the second night of finals in Lublin.

Youth was also a feature of the session, with three 18-year-olds — Denmark’s Martine Damborg, Estonia’s Eneli Jefimova and Ireland’s John Shortt — capturing European gold. Jefimova successfully defended her women’s 100m breaststroke title, first won at the 2023 European Championships in Otopeni, Romania.

Men’s 200m Backstroke: Shortt Charges Home for First Senior Title

Shortt capped an increasingly successful 2025 season by earning his first senior gold in a championship and World Junior Record of 1:47.89 in the men’s 200-meter backstroke.

With 50 meters remaining, France’s Mewen Tomac — the 2023 bronze medallist — appeared on course for gold after leading from the start. But Shortt, whose season opened with the disappointment of losing his European junior 200 backstroke title in Samorin’s outdoor glare, timed his final push perfectly to finish the year on a high and send Irish flags flying around the arena.

The win at these Championships follows the Irishman’s double golds – in the 100m and 200m backstroke – and bronze in men’s 50m backstroke at the 2025 World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania.

“It’s a big step forward to get not just a medal but a gold medal in a senior Championships,” Shortt told European Aquatics. “So, I’m kind of stepping up onto the big stage now. I’m ecstatic at the moment, and just very proud to be representing Ireland here.”

Women’s 50m Butterfly: Damborg Extends Breakout Season

Damborg, who reached the final after lowering the European junior record to 25.20 and then 25.06 in qualifying, took gold in the women’s 50 butterfly with another personal best. Her 24.61 was just 0.06 off the World Junior Record and secured her first senior international title.

The Danish sprinter has risen quickly after earning two gold medals and two silvers at this summer’s European Aquatics Junior Championships. For her career, Damborg has five golds, five silvers and two bronzes at the long course pool at the European Junior Swimming Championships.

Damborg, this year’s world junior championships 50m butterfly bronze medallist, held off Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk, the European U23 champion, who took silver in 24.84, as France’s Beryl Gastaldello completed the podium with bronze in 24.93.

“I am very happy with my swim,” Damborg said. “I didn’t think it would be so fast.”

Women’s 100m Breaststroke: Jefimova Defends Her Title

Jefimova retained her European short course 100 breaststroke crown with a Championship Record of 1:02.82. The Estonian standout, who also won the senior long course title last year, controlled the race to secure her second straight victory in the event.

Belgium’s Florine Gaspard took silver in 1:03.73, and Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko claimed bronze in 1:03.90.

“I’m really proud,” Jefimova said. “I wanted to win it twice and I managed to do it. When I saw the time, I was like ‘Oh my God!’”

Men’s 50m Butterfly: Ponti Powers to First Title Defense

Ponti was untouchable in the men’s 50 butterfly, pulling ahead in the closing meters to win in 21.54, not far off his World Record of 21.32, to successfully defend the first of his three titles from two years ago.

The Swiss sprinter earned a measure of revenge against France’s Maxime Grousset, who beat him to both butterfly world long-course titles in Singapore this summer. Grousset finished third in 21.99, just behind Hungary’s Szebasztian Szabo, who earned silver in 21.89.

“I’m very happy again with 21.5,” Ponti said. “At the beginning of this season, I wasn’t able to swim this fast, and so I am happy that I was able to win the 50 fly again.”

Men’s 100m Breaststroke: Corbeau Breaks Through for Gold

Caspar Corbeau, the 100m breaststroke short-course bronze medallist from Otopeni 2023 and short-course World Record-breaker in the 200 breaststroke on this year’s Swimming World Cup, delivered another strong performance to win his first senior title in the 100m distance.

After posting 55.54 in the heats — just 0.26 off the World Record — he returned to win the final in 55.85, finishing well ahead of Turkiye’s Emre Sakci (56.22) and Austria’s Luka Mladenovic (56.27).

“A win’s a win, so I am very happy with that,” Corbeau said. “I can never be dissatisfied with becoming a champion. The time is not exactly what I had in mind, but it was just another learning experience.

“A lot of those guys are really good 50/100 swimmers, so they have a lot of opening speed. I’m more of a 200 guy, so I know that I’m able to close pretty well, so I was able to concentrate on my strengths, and I got it done.”

Women’s 200m Backstroke: Weiler Leads Wire-to-Wire for Spain

Carmen Weiler earned Spain’s first medal of the Championships — and made it gold — with a decisive wire-to-wire victory in the women’s 200 backstroke. The 21-year-old Singapore-based swimmer finished in 2:01.66 to claim her first senior international title.

Britain’s Katie Shanahan, fifth in this event at Paris 2024, took silver in 2:02.79. France’s Pauline Mahieu earned bronze in 2:03.02.

Home favourite Adela Piskorska, the European 100m backstroke long course champion, finished eighth.

Mixed 4x50m Medley Relay: Italy Sets Championship Record in Thriller

Italy closed the night with a championship-record performance of 1:36.09 to win the mixed 4x50 medley relay. The Netherlands pushed to silver in 1:36.18, and Poland delighted the home crowd by finishing third in 1:36.98 — the hosts’ third relay medal in as many events.

Coming Tonight | Another Line-Up of Medal Events, Including the Men's 1500m Finals