The 2025 European Aquatics Junior Artistic Swimming Championships began in spectacular style in Athens, with the Women’s Solo and Duet Free preliminaries showcasing the continent’s finest young talents.
It was Spain’s Isabel Shuang Cui Xu who dazzled both judges and spectators alike in the solo event – setting a commanding standard with a remarkable score of 218.4725 to lead the standings and qualify for Friday’s final.
Performing to a dynamic routine titled “Revolt”, the 18-year-old commanded the water and excelled with her transitions as she wowed the crowd at the Athens Olympic Aquatic Centre on her way to the top-spot. Her declared difficulty – an impressive one of 50.35 – was matched by her execution. Judges awarded her exceptional marks in all three interpretation areas: choreography (35.70), performance (30.60), and transitions (36.05).
These scores reflected both technical command and creative nuance as she seamlessly navigated through a series of complex hybrids, including a show-stopping opening sequence rated at 14.7 difficulty points – the most difficult declared hybrid of the event.
Trailing her in second place was Italy’s Ginevra Marchetti, whose routine “The Journey of Soul” earned 206.7913 points. Marchetti’s smooth lines and emotional delivery captivated the panel, bolstered by a declared difficulty of 50.05.
In third place, Georgia’s Maria Alavidze impressed with her thematic programme “Memories”, scoring 205.5551. With an equally ambitious declared difficulty of 50.7, Alavidze’s routine combined daring acrobatic elements and creative transitions. Particularly memorable was her extended hybrid sequence at the start of the routine, which earned one of the highest single-element difficulty ratings at 13.25.
The Duet Free Preliminary brought the opening day of the European Aquatics Junior Artistic Swimming Championships 2025 to a graceful and gripping close in Athens, with Spain and Ukraine comfortably inside the top-three, along with the neutral athletes. In a packed field of 19 entries, Naia Alvarez Vicente and Rocio Calle Garcia of Spain lit up the pool with a routine rich in difficulty and elegant synchronisation, finishing second overall with a score of 239.9621.
Their routine, which combined powerful hybrid sequences and two clean acrobatic lifts, was delivered with poise and precision. With a huge declared difficulty of 53.7, Álvarez and Calle balanced athletic complexity with expressive movement, earning standout marks for choreography (40.00) and transitions (40.00). Their performance confirmed Spain’s rising dominance across both solo and duet disciplines at junior level.
Also making their mark were Ukraine’s Mariia and Uliana Hrynishyna, who scored 226.0117 to place third overall. The Ukrainian pair impressed with a tricky acro-pair and hybrid performance, backed by a declared difficulty of 51.55. Their hybrid sections were well-executed and emotionally charged, drawing praise from both judges and the Athens crowd.
Topping the overall standings, however, were neutral athletes Anastasiia Sidorina and Veronika Sokolova, who posted a commanding score of 260.7176. Although their performance was slightly less complex with a difficulty of 49.1, their execution of the routine was unquestionably ruthless, earning particularly high marks for their artistic impression and fluidity, putting them in strong contention for the gold medal heading into the final.
With the top 12 in both events advancing to the final later this week, all eyes now turn to how these routines evolve under pressure. Based on today’s showings, the battle for the podium promises to be one to watch when they return for the final on Friday 27 and Sunday 29 June respectively.
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Stephen Stanley for European Aquatics
