Two of Europe’s most promising rising talents – Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk and Milou van Wijk of The Netherlands – moved into the spotlight on the second night of the concluding Mare Nostrum 2026 meeting in Barcelona.

Vanotterdijk, 21, who won three titles at the European Aquatics U23 Championships last year before earning senior world silver and bronze, added the women’s 100m butterfly title in 57.73 to the 50m version she had claimed the night before.

Van Wijk, also 21, who won the 50m and 100m freestyle titles at the EA U23 Championships, was victorious in the women’s 50m freestyle in 24.33 ahead of Hong Kong’s multiple world and Olympic medallist Siobhan Haughey, who clocked 24.45.

Haughey later won the 200m freestyle in 1:55.22 from Erika Fairweather of New Zealand on 1:55.49 and Czechia’s Barbora Seemanova on 1:56.64, with Marrit Steenbergen of The Netherlands, who has twice swum under 52sec for the 100m freestyle in his series, finishing fourth in 1:57.72.

There was further Dutch success as Caspar Corbeau added the men’s 100m breaststroke title to the 200m version he had won the previous night, clocking 59.96.

Italy’s Simona Quadarella won the women’s 1500m in 15:58.41.

Czechia’s Jan Cejka came home first in the men’s 200m backstroke in 1:56.65.

Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics