Germany continued its outstanding performance in Budapest with another gold medal on the penultimate day of the European Aquatics Junior Diving Championships Hungary 2026 as Hannes-Hermann-Rudi Bollmann produced a composed display to win the boys B 3m springboard title by the narrowest of margins.
The German diver led throughout a captivating final and ultimately finished on 472.75 points, just 1.50 ahead of Russia’s Maksim Kiselev (471.25), while Switzerland’s Alexandre Chevnine claimed bronze with 458.75.Bollmann set the tone early with a 63.00-point Back 2½ Somersaults Tuck (205C) and never surrendered top spot.
His consistency proved decisive as he followed with scores of 64.40 and 63.00 before a final-dive score of 60.00 secured victory.Behind him, Kiselev mounted a fierce challenge.
The Russian opened his final programme with an excellent 67.20-point Forward 3½ Somersaults Tuck (107C) and remained within striking distance throughout.
His spectacular Reverse 1½ Somersaults 3½ Twists Free (5337D) earned 73.50 points in the final round – the highest score among the medal contenders – but he ultimately fell just short of adding another individual gold to Russia’s tally, despite closing the gap considerably.
Chevnine completed the podium thanks to a strong showing of his own. The Swiss diver’s Reverse 2½ Somersaults Tuck (305C) earned an impressive 67.20 points in the third round, helping him secure Switzerland’s place amongst the medals.Ukraine’s Nikita Kononenko, who has been among the standout performers of the championships, finished fourth on 444.95 points after another competitive showing.
The session also featured the girls A platform final, where Russia’s Mariia Kuvshinova delivered a commanding display to secure gold with 348.25 points.
Kuvshinova led from start to finish, producing two outstanding dives worth 67.20 points to finish clear of the field and add another title to Russia’s impressive collection from her time at the Duna Arena.
Home favourite Lilla Feher gave the Hungarian crowd plenty to cheer about as she captured silver on 319.15 points.
The host nation diver remained firmly in medal contention throughout the competition and produced one of Hungary’s strongest individual performances of the week, thanks in part to her solid performance in the preliminary round, of which her scores carried over.
Belarus’ Aliaksandra Puz completed the podium with 306.90 points after climbing from sixth place following the opening round to secure bronze.
The day’s final medal event saw Russia continue its dominance in synchronised diving as Viktoriia Kazantseva and Nadezhda Trifonova claimed the girls A 3m synchronised springboard title with 293.19 points.
The Russian pair led from the opening round and never relinquished their advantage, producing a consistently high-quality series of dives. They opened with an inward dive worth 47.40 points before extending their lead through a forward dive that scored 50.40.
Their most difficult dives were equally impressive, earning identical scores of 65.70 for their Forward 2½ Somersaults 1 Twist Pike (5152B) and Back 2½ Somersaults Pike (205B).
A final Inward 2½ Somersaults Tuck (405C) worth 63.99 points sealed another gold medal for the Russian team, continuing a championship-long trend of excellence in synchronised events.
Ukraine’s Daria Poliakova and Alina Polonets secured silver with 271.20 points after a strong second half of the event.
The pair moved into medal contention with a well-executed Inward 2½ Somersaults Tuck (405C) before closing with an excellent Reverse 2½ Somersaults Tuck (305C) worth 63.84 points to continue the country’s stunning showing across the week.
Germany rounded out the podium through Nina Berger and Henni Louise Mehner, who collected bronze on 266.07 points. After beginning with a solid back dive, the German duo showed impressive consistency across their optional dives, culminating in a 60.75-point Inward 2½ Somersaults Tuck (405C) in the final round.
Looking back, Germany’s victory in the Boys B 3m event continued a remarkable week for the nation, following titles won by Finn Awe and Emily Deml in recent days.
Meanwhile, Russia once again demonstrated its exceptional depth by placing multiple athletes on the podium and remaining among the dominant forces of the championships.
With only the final day of competition remaining, the battle for the remaining titles promises an exciting conclusion to a memorable week of junior diving.
The girls A 3m springboard final and boys A platform final will round-off proceedings tomorrow night.
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Stephen Stanley for European Aquatics
