European Aquatics treasurer Andida Bouma has highlighted the significance of the renowned Olympia Schwimmhalle, built for the 1972 Games, as venue for the European Aquatics Junior Artistic Swimming Championships Munich 2026

Speaking at a press conference on the eve of competition, Bouma commented:  “I am really proud and happy to be here. It is clearly an iconic place in all of Europe – everybody knows this venue.

“When you enter the pool, it makes a very big impression, so it must be a wonderful experience for the athletes to swim and compete here.”

After these Championships, which will conclude on July 4, Munich will also host the EA Junior Swimming Championships at the same venue from July 7 to 12.

Christian Hansmann, Head of Performance for the German Swimming Federation, welcomed the more than 200 athletes from 31 nations and celebrated the return of these Championships to Germany after 20 years.

“I’d like to warmly welcome all athletes to Munich,” he said. “It was more than time to bring back these championships and these junior athletes, especially in this city.

“We have been trying to build up Munich as a federal base of our sports structure, and we hope to have a hub for artistic swimming in the future. This competition will be a great showcase for the junior athletes.

“It’s a milestone for us and for our strategy to qualify a team for the Olympic Games in Brisbane 2032.”

Among the home favourites is 16-year-old Johanna Karb, who often trains at the Olympia Schwimmhalle with her local club of SG Stadtwerke München and is expected to compete every day this week across five events.

“The solo and duet are more demanding for me, so I’m more nervous about them. I’m very excited to swim with the team and to show the work we have done in the last few months. I’m most excited about the acrobatic routine.”

Competing in familiar surroundings also gives the German team an added sense of confidence.

“Many of us on the national team are from Munich and Bavaria, so during our training camps we got to train here a lot,” Karb added. “It’s our training pool. We know our way around, we know how the water is, how cold it is, so that’s an advantage.”

The Munich native is also featured on the official event poster: “I’m really happy and grateful to be on the poster. I still haven’t got one yet for myself… but I really hope I do!”

Germany’s national team coach Stephanie Marx said hosting the championships at home would be particularly meaningful for the younger members of the squad.

“I am super excited that we have the opportunity to host this competition, and for my team especially. For six girls, it’s their first international competition.

“Having the luxury to do that more or less at home, with family and friends in the stands cheering for them, it’s a special moment.

“What I personally hope for these championships is that a lot of young kids, boys and girls, will see that and say, ‘I want to do that as well.’ It’s such an opportunity to showcase how great the team already is, but also to build the next generation.”

Slovakia’s Zofia Strapekova, one of the more experienced athletes competing in Munich, will only appear in the women’s solo technical after her duet partner was sidelined with injury.

Strapekova, who claimed silver in the first World Cup leg of the season in February, is aiming to improve on her eighth-place finish last year.

“It’s very important for me to be here. We have been doing World Cups since the start of the year, working towards this competition.

“Apnea time limits are in place here, so I have had to make changes and to move faster during the hybrid.

“I’m a bit nervous about that, but overall I’m excited. I have been working on my artistic impression, and I’m excited to show my elements and my height.”

Spain’s Eneko Sanchez Aguilar arrives in Munich after winning three silver medals at the recent World Cup in Pontevedra and believes Spain’s recent success at these championships serves as motivation rather than pressure.

“It’s more motivation for us,” he said. “Our country is very powerful in artistic swimming, in technique and in routines in general.

“There’s a little bit of pressure, obviously, but not so much because we worked a lot on our routines and we are very confident with them.”

Asked about Russian athletes competing under the Neutral Individual Athletes designation, Bouma responded:

“We as European Aquatics wanted all the eligible athletes to compete without restrictions, but we also understand the specific legal circumstances and government context in Germany for these championships.

“So, in close cooperation with both the German and Russian Federations, and the German government organisations, we have come to this option to have them compete under neutrality in order to facilitate the visa issuance, and also to protect the interests of the athletes.

“It’s important that we bring people together through sport. We are very grateful for the cooperation, the dialogue and the pragmatic solution that in the end was found.

“We would also like this to result in a competition that is inclusive, fair, respectful and protects the athletes.”

Christina Marmet for European Aquatics