Israeli Swimming Team Concludes European Championships with Strong Results but No Medals

The Israeli national swimming team wrapped up the European Swimming Championships in Paris with notable achievements, reaching 13 semifinals and 5 finals, surpassing their initial goal of 8-12 semifinals and 5-7 finals. Despite these successes, the team did not secure any medals, finishing once in fifth place and four times in seventh place in the finals.

A standout performer was Tomer Shuster from Maccabi Rishon Lezion, who made a significant breakthrough by breaking two Israeli records in the 50m and 100m backstroke and finishing fifth in the 50m backstroke final, just 0.33 seconds shy of a podium finish. Shuster also qualified for the 2027 World Championships in both events. He reflected on his progress, emphasizing the mental and physical challenges overcome during his training.

Among the women, Tom Miniss of Maccabi Haifa impressed by breaking her personal best in the 100m backstroke three times and qualifying for the 2027 World Championships. She also advanced to the semifinals in the 200m backstroke. Miniss highlighted the importance of mental preparation in her performance. Additionally, Denis Loktev set a new Israeli record in the 200m freestyle during the 4x200m freestyle relay final, and Eitan Ben Shtrit reached the semifinals in the 200m individual medley.

Overall, the team set four new Israeli records: three individual (two by Shuster and one by Loktev) and one relay record in the women's 4x100m medley relay. The professional director of the Israeli Swimming Association, Yaakov Tomerkin, noted the high level of competition and the team's fulfillment of key goals, despite some near misses and the absence of medals.

Out of 18 swimmers representing Israel, 10 have already met the Israeli qualifying standards for the 2027 World Championships in Budapest, allowing them to focus on preparation rather than qualification. Some events have multiple qualifiers, who will need to meet stricter international standards to compete together. Anastasia Gorbunko, a veteran swimmer, expressed disappointment with some of her performances but remains committed to improving toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.