Μake us preferred on Google Greek swimmer Apostolos Christou won the European Championship gold medal in the men’s 100-meter backstroke in Paris, edging Italian world champion Thomas Ceccon by one-hundredth of a second in a dramatic final.
Christou clocked 52.27 to finish ahead of Ceccon, who took silver in 52.28, while Pavel Samusenko claimed bronze in 52.57. Christou, swimming from lane three, made an excellent start with a reaction time of 0.59 and remained in contention for the lead throughout the race.
The battle with Ceccon intensified over the final meters, with the two swimmers separated by virtually nothing as they approached the finish. Christou held his nerve to touch the wall first, with the electronic scoreboard confirming his victory by the narrowest possible margin.
Yohan Ndoye-Brouard finished fourth in 52.71, followed by Georgiy Iakovlev in 52.73, Ksawery Masiuk in 52.92, Mewen Tomac in 53.47 and Jack Skerry in 53.65.
The victory adds another major title to Christou’s career. The Olympiacos swimmer has established himself among Europe’s leading backstroke specialists, winning European gold in the 50- and 100-meter backstroke events in Belgrade in 2024. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, he won silver in the 200-meter backstroke, becoming the first Greek swimmer to win an Olympic medal in the pool.
