Day two of the European Aquatics Junior Open Water Swimming Championships Hungary 2026 brought a new wave of athletes, with the J1 5km finals taking centre stage at Lake Velence on Friday morning. It proved another memorable day for the hosts, with Zeteny Sarkany leading home a Hungarian one-three in the boys’ race, while Russia enjoyed a dominant morning of their own with a clean sweep of the girls’ podium.
The conditions at the Katalin Kovacs National Kayak Academy picked up significantly from the previous day, but wind was still a factor. That being said, all athletes seemed up for the challenge, and happier with the circumstances.
Sarkany was in a class of his own in the Boys’ 14-15 Years 5km, leading from the very first buoy and never relinquishing top spot to win in 56:37.83. He extended his lead through the first two laps, before consolidating to come home a huge 48 seconds ahead of the chasing pack.
Russia’s Alan Nosov produced the best display of closing speed the day had seen, climbing from fifth at the opening 1666m mark to snatch silver in 57:26.69, while Hungary’s Lazar Elemer Pannonhalmi sat second for the majority of the race before being pipped for silver, ultimately claiming bronze just 0.62 seconds further back. Turkey’s Ibrahim Burhan rounded out the top four, having held station in fourth throughout.
Speaking after the race, Sarkany could hardly contain his delight. “It was a really fantastic race,” he said. “I was confident going into it that I could win, and I always wanted to win. I’m delighted I was able to do it. Having Lazar with me on the podium made it even better. We wanted to finish one-two or one-three, and to do that was really incredible.”
The Hungarian also reflected on what the Championships have meant for the host town. “It’s great that a light has been shone on Sukoro because of this event,” he said. “It’s brilliant to be able to compete in different places around the country.”
In the Girls’ 14-15 Years 5km, it was Russia who dominated, locking out all three medals and never looking like deviating from that outcome from the first turn.
Kira Guseva timed her race to perfection, sitting second behind team-mate Anastasiia Siniakova at the opening buoy before taking control at 3332m and holding on to win in 1:00:03.17.
Siniakova, who had led at the first split, was unable to respond and had to settle for silver, just 1.88 seconds adrift, with Nelli Petrovskaia completing the Russian clean sweep in third. Germany’s Julia Franziska Kaul was the best of the rest in fourth, while Hungary’s Janka Merai and Nora Barta backed up the hosts’ strong week with fifth and sixth respectively.
The attention of the competition now turns to the 3km knockout events, which have become a staple in the calendar in recent years. They take place tomorrow on the penultimate day, before the relays bring action to a close on the Sunday.
Click here to access the event page, which includes live results and start lists.
Click here to watch all of the action on EuroAquaticsTV.
Stephen Stanley for European Aquatics
