In a historic and dramatic race that was decided literally on the thread, Apostolos Christou emerged once again as European Champion in the 100m backstroke. In his beloved Paris, where in the summer of 2024 he had written Olympic history, the 30-year-old Greek Olympiacos champion vigorously defended the title he had won two years ago in Belgrade, confirming that he belongs to the absolute elite of world swimming.
This victory was even more valuable, as Christou was called upon to face his athletic “nemesis”, the Italian Olympic champion, world champion and world record holder, Tomas Cecon . Despite the fact that he had never defeated him in a major event in this particular event, the Greek athlete proved that there is a first time for everything, executing a tactic of patience and counterattack that captivated.
In contrast to the speed he showed in the semi-final, Christou entered the final more conservatively, turning in fourth in the first 50m with a time of 25.48. However, making an excellent turn , he immediately moved up to second place and launched an unstoppable pursuit sprint in the final meters. With a stunning, calculated finish without extra hands, he touched the wall just one hundredth of a second ahead of his Italian opponent, stopping the clock at 52.27 to Cecon’s 52.28.
His spontaneous outburst immediately after the finish captured the intensity and redemption of the moment. With this new gold medal , Christou reached a total of nine European Championships (four of which were gold), while also achieving the unique achievement of being on the podium in the 100m backstroke for the sixth consecutive event since 2016.
This continued presence at the top also establishes Greek swimming as a superpower in the event, ranking Greece in fourth place of all time in the history of the European Championships. The journey of Apostolos Christos continues to inspire, proving that faith, dedication and passion can break even the most undefeated opponents.
