The European champion in the 200m butterfly was eliminated in the qualifying heats of the European Championships in Paris because an entry error placed her in a heat with competitors who are more than ten seconds slower than her.
Bosnian swimmer Lana Pudar unexpectedly saw her 50m butterfly campaign end in the qualifying heats. The European champion in the 200m butterfly finished only 36th at the European Championships in Paris and missed out on a place in the semifinals. Her club has now explained what went wrong.
Pudar was the fastest in her qualifying heat with a time of 26.62 seconds, ahead of Armenia's Manucharjan (27.40) and Moldova's Corlateanu (30.01). However, facing competition that was objectively among the weakest at the championships, she could not get a true sense of the pace and speed needed to advance.
Pudar has achieved a string of top results in recent years. As far back as 2021, she competed at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and won bronze at the World Short Course Championships in the 200m butterfly. The following year, she shone with two golds at the Mediterranean Games in Oran in the 100m and 200m butterfly, plus gold at the European Championships in Rome in the 200m butterfly. Success continued in 2023 with bronze in the 200m butterfly short course, and in 2024 she took silver at the European Championships in Belgrade and bronze at the World Championships in Doha in the 200m butterfly.
From the Orka Aquatic Sports Club, they quickly clarified the background to the unexpected scheduling. The key reason Lana Pudar swam in the first, slowest qualifying heat lies in an administrative oversight during the event entry.
"The reason for this is an administrative oversight during the entry process, which meant that our swimmers' submitted times were not recorded. Consequently, they were all placed in the first qualifying heats, which can have a significant impact on the race itself, the swimming rhythm, and consequently, the results achieved," the club stated.
The club particularly highlighted the absurdity of the situation faced by a top athlete. "It is especially hard to accept a situation where the European champion in the 200m butterfly, Lana Pudar, has to swim her qualifying race in a heat with competitors whose submitted, or achieved, times are in some cases more than ten seconds slower," they added.
Despite the disappointment, Orka emphasized that today's performance served as valuable experience and a fitness check in a discipline that is not Lana's primary focus. They optimistically stated that they hope this issue will be resolved for the remainder of the championships so that Bosnia and Herzegovina's national team members can compete under fairer conditions.
The real challenges for the 20-year-old swimmer are still to come. Her next appearance is scheduled for Thursday at 10:04 AM, when the 100m butterfly qualifying heats are on the schedule.
"Today's 50m butterfly is behind us as a valuable training session and experience, and the focus is now on what Lana came to Paris for, her main events and the fight for the highest possible finish. We move on!" the club concluded.
Lana's participation in Paris has also reopened questions about her family life. Her father, Velibor Pudar, a former goalkeeper for Velež, Čukarički, Apollon Athens, and Leotar, had previously publicly commented on her decision to swim for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which drew a sharp response from Lana.
"The decision of which country I represent was never in question and has always been mine alone, not his or anyone else's. I distance myself from all previous and future public statements by Velibor Pudar that reference me, my sports career, or my family's private life. My father and I have had no contact for almost two years now, and his statements have nothing to do with me," Pudar said at the time.
Velibor Pudar responded by explaining that the reason for the strained relationship is not sports, but his divorce from Lana's mother. "We both made mistakes because we should have resolved our issues between ourselves, not involved the children. Regardless of everything, I am always there for my children and I am proud of them," he concluded.
