Vasilis Chara delivered the standout performance on the third day of the Greek Age Group Swimming Championships at the Olympic Aquatic Centre (OAKA), becoming the first Greek junior swimmer to break the 50-second barrier in the men’s 100m freestyle.
The 18-year-old Panathinaikos swimmer, who specialises in medley events, clocked 49.94 seconds to set a new Greek junior record. He eclipsed the previous mark of 50.37, set by Nikos Spatharakis in Heraklion on April 6, 2025.
Stefanos Gkounelas of Athletic Academy Asteria also impressed, finishing second in 50.47, narrowly missing the previous national record.
Savvidis Nears Boys’ Record
In the boys’ 100m freestyle, 15-year-old Michalis Savvidis of Athletic Academy Asteria claimed victory in 50.90, setting a personal best and finishing just 0.14 seconds shy of the Greek age-group record of 50.76, held by Christos Dimanopoulos since 2024.
European Champion Continues Winning Form
Fresh from winning gold at the European Junior Championships in Munich, Olympiacos swimmer Vangelis Ntoumas comfortably won the junior boys’ 100m breaststroke in 1:01.85.
Ntoumas is using the national championships as preparation ahead of the upcoming European Senior Championships in Paris.
Another Munich medallist, Giannis Petrakis of Palaio Faliro, also continued his strong form by winning the junior boys’ 200m backstroke in 2:00.22, improving his personal best.
More National Records Fall
The 50m butterfly produced several outstanding performances.
Taxiarchis Ntikoudis of Panionios broke the Greek Boys B national record twice in one day, swimming 26.17 in the heats before lowering it to 26.04 in the final. The previous record of 26.47 had stood since December 3, 2022.
In the junior boys’ final, Olympiacos swimmer Christos Diamantis won in 23.84, finishing just 0.02 seconds outside the Greek junior record he set in Bavaria last week. Giorgos Kalandros of Okeanos placed second in 24.21.
Natalia Vaggopoulou of NO Vouliagmeni produced an impressive 27.01 to win the junior women’s event, while Kalliopi Koustoubardi of Palaio Faliro recorded 27.79 to take the Girls A title.
Toris Sets Second National Record
Maximos Toris of Ydatinos Kosmos Volou claimed his second Greek national age-group record of the championships after breaking the Boys B 200m individual medley record.
Toris clocked 2:13.17, surpassing the previous record of 2:13.95, which Theodoris Benexoutsos had held since July 14, 2011.