The European Aquatics Junior Artistic Swimming Championships Munich 2026 got underway at the Olympia Schwimmhalle in Munich with two events on the programme. The women’s solo free preliminary took place in the morning before the duet free preliminary in the afternoon, with the top 12 from each event advancing to their respective finals.
A total of 21 soloists took to the pool in the first event of the championships, each aiming to secure a place in Thursday’s final.
Neutral Individual Athlete Ekaterina Shtatnova led the standings with a score of 270.2575, delivering an outstanding routine set to the theme of “Apocalypse Survivor”.
Swimming with the goal of demonstrating maximum speed, flexibility and energy, the 18-year-old produced a technically strong performance, showcasing impressive height, precision and consistency throughout her routine. The bronze medalist at this season’s World Cup in Xi’an finished comfortably clear of the rest of the field, heading into the final as a clear favorite for gold.
Italy’s Ginevra Marchetti qualified in second place with 255.9824 points. Performing to the song “Triste Vals”by Yasmin Levy and Javier Limon, Marchetti successfully attempted the highest declared difficulty (DD) of the field at 59.95.
The 19-year-old earned bronze in this event at last year’s Championships and will surely be aiming for another podium finish here in Munich.
Naia Alvarez Vicente of Spain secured third place on 247.2000 with her routine themed “From Darkness to Liberation”. With a DD of 59.90, Alvarez Vicente continued her consistent international form after finishing fifth at the World Cup Super Final in Toronto less than two weeks ago, and sixth at the World Cup in Pontevedra in late May.
At last year’s European Junior AS Championships she collected four gold medals and one silver as part of Spain’s duet and team events.
The soloists of Türkiye, the Netherlands, Hungary, Georgia, Malta, Estonia, Poland, Czechia, and Slovenia are also advancing to the final, which will be held on Thursday, July 2 at 10:00.
The afternoon session saw 18 duets compete for spots in the duet free final.
The Neutral Individual Athletes’ pairing of Anastasiia Sidorina and Kristina Chekhanova topped the standings with an impressive 298.0717 points, a score that would be competitive with the world’s leading senior duets at the highest international level, and one achieved despite the apnea limits in place under European Aquatics regulations.
Sidorina, the reigning European junior champion in this event, teamed up with Chekhanova to perform the routine with the highest DD in the field at 68.25, almost six points higher than any other duet.
The pair, who won silver together at the World Cup in Xi’an earlier this season, delivered a performance of outstanding quality on all fronts and head into Saturday’s final as the clear favourites.
After a successful swim in the morning, Spain’s Naia Alvarez Vicente returned to the pool alongside Daniela Suarez Fernandez, with the two qualifying in second place with a score of 271.2700.
Alvarez, the silver medalist in this event at last year’s European Junior AS Championships, partnered Suarez in an energetic routine set to Beyoncé’s “Diva”.
Both athletes train year-round in Barcelona alongside Spain’s senior national team and they demonstrated strong execution and consistent height throughout.
Italy’s Sarah Maria Rizea and Flaminia Vernice advanced in third place with 267.6249 with a revised version of their “Hypnosis” routine that had earned them the bronze medal at last year’s championships.
Joining the top three in Saturday’s duet free final are the duets representing France, Türkiye, Poland, Belarus, Switzerland, Germany, Croatia, Hungary and Czechia.
The competition continues tomorrow with the team free preliminary beginning at 10:00, before the first medals of the Championships are awarded during the evening session. The women’s solo technical final starts at 18:00 local time, followed shortly afterwards by the mixed duet free final.
Christina Marmet for European Aquatics
