The Mixed 4x1500m Relays brought the close of the 2026 World Aquatics Junior Open Water Swimming Championships in Santa Fe, Argentina - with Hungary and Russia celebrating gold medals.
The final race of these World Junior Championships saw Hungary claim gold in what was one of the most thrilling battles of the entire event.
Mate Karpati’s head-to-head battle with Italy’s Ivan Sartor down the final straight of the Open Mixed 4x1500m Relay had everyone on the edge of their seat, particularly the onlooking Italian and Hungarian teams.
It was unclear who was going to get the touch until the last 25 metres of the race where Karpati surged ahead at a pace that proved too hot for Sartor.
Karpati, who won gold in the 10km and bronze in the 3km Knockout Sprint, was cheered home by teammates Napsugar Nagy, Mira Miszlai, and Balint Kriesz, who were overjoyed on the pontoon.
Speaking after the race, Karpati said: “I’m super happy and super proud of the team, I saw the Italian guy coming through pretty fast on the final straight so I knew it was going to be a sprint finish.
“So I’m really happy with how it turned out.”
"I’m really happy that I can represent my nation like this and to win like this is really a dream come true"
Touching on what was going through his mind as Sartor chased down a body length lead and moved onto his shoulder, he added: “I saw him coming really fast, but I didn’t think much of it.
“I just knew that I had to give it my everything and see how it goes - I gave it my all and I’m really happy.”
Mira Miszlai, who led out her team in 16:03.6, added: “Yeah it feels super awesome, it’s probably the best feeling of this entire competition and it’s a great way to finish.
“We are really proud of each other because we pushed each other in training camps too - we’ve had two training camps together - so I’m really proud of everyone.”
Team Hungary’s performances throughout the week earned them the second spot in the overall standings, finishing with 196 points total.
Italians Add World Junior Silver to Recent European Haul
The Italian team of Ginevra Bagaglini, Mahlia Spennato, Davide Grossi, and Ivan Sartor showed their strength in this event once again.
Having recently won a silver medal at the European Junior Championships, the Italian quartet were undoubtedly looking to go one better this time in Santa Fe.
Two fantastic opening legs by Bagaglini and Spennato set up Grossi for what would be an exceptional third lap - one that gave his team a fighting chance at the gold medal.
Sartor chewed up the 1.2 second gap between him and Karpati, separating himself from the chasers from Russia and Australia in the process.
In the end, Sartor’s efforts would earn them each a silver medal - the first of the competition for all four athletes.
Jacobs’ Closing Speed Carries USA to Bronze
Although no relay result is individual, the closing speed of Colin Jacobs played a significant part in carrying his team (USA) to bronze.
Jacobs, who displayed his sprinting abilities in the 10km earlier this week, caused an upset on the final lap - disrupting what looked to be a certain bronze for Russia or Australia.
Having started his 1500m effort with a 24.6 second deficit, a blistering 14:27.6 split from the youngster was more than enough to chase down the 15:37 splits of Semen Demidov (RUS) and Lachlan Evans (AUS).
Jacobs’ split was the fastest of the entire race, and coupled with the efforts of teammates Karrington Hansen, Brinkleigh Hansen, and Will Siegel, earned them the bronze.
Their efforts today contributed to Team USA’s third-place result in the overall team standings (167 points).
Russia’s Gold Secures Overall Team Win
In the U16 Mixed 4x1500m Relay, the team of Anastasiia Siniakova, Kira Guseva, Aleksandr Filipets and Alan Nosov powered their way to gold.
After a strong lead off leg from Siniakova, Guseva - winner of the Girls' 14-15 yrs 5km - put in a monumental effort on the second lap to catch the race leaders.
She closed down a 37-second gap during her leg, touching just 0.7 seconds behind the front at the halfway point.
Speaking on her efforts, Guseva said:
"I talked with my coach about this, and he said I needed to reduce the gap, so I tried to do that"
“But I had a boy next to me so I took the space and swam faster because I was alone.”
Teammate Aleksandr Filipets carried on the trojan work of Guseva on his leg, extending their lead to establish what looked to be an unbeatable play for the gold medal.
Filipets had the quickest split of their team and of the entire field, touching home in 14:49.2. After his sterling effort, it was up to anchor Alan Nosov to carry them home.
Nosov did exactly that, calling on the speed we saw on full display during his gold-medal winning performance in the Boys' 14-15 yrs 5km.
Speaking on the team’s performance, Nosov said: “We’ve worked very hard this season, it’s been a very long season. We’ve been working all year, and I think it’s a 100% Russian trophy.”
Winning the gold secured Russia the overall trophy, which is awarded to the nation that has accumulated the most points at the end of the competition.
Speaking on their achievement, Head Coach Kirill Belyaev added: “It’s such a great team with such a strong character; all the athletes, coaches, manager, doctors and physios. I believe this is the future of open water swimming on the world stage.”
USA and Hungary Podium in Both Relays
USA and Hungary won medals in both the U16 relay event and the Open edition, meaning each nation took home a total of eight medals from the last day of racing in Santa Fe.
It was Alex Siegel, Ansley Bess, Joseph Eaddy and Sawyer Hansen who touched home second for silver in the U16 event; a result which marked Eaddy and Bess’ first international medals.
Similarly for Hungary’s Janka Merai, Nora Barta, Lazar Pannonhalmi, their bronze marks their first international medals, while anchor leg Armand Marosszeki also takes home a silver from the Boys' 16-17 yrs 7.5km event.