The Acropolis Swim Open 2026 concluded with powerful performances in the 100m freestyle, with several swimmers achieving marks for major competitions and a new national record being set.
Apostolos Christou emerged as the top male performer, crossing the finish line in 52.53 seconds. The Olympic champion from Olympiacos demonstrated once again that he is in top form. Behind him, Vangelis Makrygiannis of AOP Falirou finished with a time of 53.73 seconds. Both Christou and Makrygiannis secured qualifying marks for the 2026 European Championships in Paris and the 2027 World Championships in Budapest.
The same race also provided a ticket to a younger age category. Nikos Papathodorou of Olympiacos finished fourth in 55.54 seconds, securing his place in the European Junior Championships, which will be held in Munich this summer.
In the women's competition, Eleni Antoniadou of PAOK delivered an impressive performance, winning the race with a time of 1:01.53. This performance set a new national record for young women. The previous record was held by Aspasia Petrada with a time of 1:01.72, set in 2009. Antoniadou broke this record after 17 years, marking one of the most significant moments of the event.
The Acropolis Swim Open concluded with intense competitive interest and several noteworthy performances, indicating that Greek swimming is well-prepared for upcoming major events.
This event was a game-changer for Greek swimming, but can we expect these swimmers to maintain this level of performance at the World Championships? What do you think, will we see more records broken?