The European Junior Championships are over for this year, and it's time to take stock of the Estonians' results. 3.-7. Kertu Kaare, Laura-Liis Valdmaa, Laurika Lint, Mark Sovtsa, Alex Ahtiainen and Nikita Pisarenko competed in Kaasan on July 3rd-3rd. During the 5 days the Estonians reached the semi-finals on three occasions and also set an Estonian junior record.

The most successful swimmer of the Estonian national team was the representative of Swimming Sports Club. Alex Ahtiainen, who competed in the 50 and 100 metre breaststroke and 50 metre freestyle. In the 100m butterfly, Ahtiainen reached the semi-finals with a personal best. In the evening, the young man managed to bring his personal best down to 54 seconds and his excellent result of 53.79 marked 9th place in a strong competition. In the 50m butterfly Alex came 19th with 24.77, a personal best for the young man. Only 4 hundredths of a second separated him from the semi-finals. Ahtiainen also managed to break into the semi-finals of the 50m freestyle. The result of 23.41, which he had swum in the preliminaries, was surpassed in the semi-finals and the result of 23.28 placed him in 12th place with a personal best.

Also a great result Nikita Pisarenko, who was faster than the Estonian junior 200m breaststroke record. With a time of 2.19,11, the young man came 21st. The previous Estonian junior record was slower by just one hundredth of a second, and the swim belonged to Silver Heine. In addition, the swimmer representing the Kalev Swimming School competed in the 200 metre breaststroke, where he finished 29th in 2.12,00, and in the 100 metre breaststroke, where he finished 30th in 1.04,85. 

In the women's relay, the best swimmer was. Laura-Liis Valdmaa, who reached the semi-finals of the 200 m backstroke with a new personal best 2.17,78. The 15-year-old girl finished 15th in the final with 2.18,15. The last time an Estonian female swimmer reached the semi-finals was in 2016. She also competed in the 50m butterfly, 50m and 100m backstroke. In the 100 m backstroke, Valdmaa finished 24th with a time of 1.04,79, in the shorter distance 31st with a time of 30,16 and in the 50 m butterfly 21st with a time of 28,05.

Kertu Kaare competed in the 50 and 100 metres backstroke and freestyle. She managed to improve her personal best in the 50m backstroke, finishing 27th in 30.07.. Kaare, representing Kalev Swimming School, achieved 31st place in the half longer distance with 1.06,74. In the 50m freestyle, Kertu swam 26.76 for 33rd place and in the 100m freestyle, Kertu finished 59th with a time of 59,61.

Top swim club for daily training Mark Sovtsa competed in the 50 and 100 metres breaststroke and the 50 metres butterfly. In the 100m breaststroke, Sovtsa set a new personal best of one second. A time of 1.04,55 gave a 26th place in a close competition. In the 50 metre breaststroke, the youngster finished 27th with a time of 29.63 and in the butterfly 52nd with a time of 26.50.

Laurika Lint competed in the 100 and 200 metres freestyle. In the 100 m freestyle, the young woman representing Audentes Spordiklubi achieved 53rd place with a result of 58.71, while the result of 2.07,03 in the half longer distance gave her 42nd place. 

The Estonian team also took part in the 4 x 100 metres combined mixed event. The team consisted of Laura-Liis Valdmaa, Nikita Pisarenko, Mark Sovtsa and Laurika Lint. The theatre team came 16th. The 4 x 100 metres freestyle mixed medley team came 13th. On the start were Alex Ahtiainen, Mark Sovtsa, Kertu Kaare and Laurika Lint.

Congratulations on a successful start!