Croatian relay breaks record and enters European Championship final
The quartet of Nenadić, Hribar, Sivec, and Dragoja swam the third-fastest time in the 4x100m freestyle qualifiers, posing a serious threat for a medal in Paris.
The quartet of Nenadić, Hribar, Sivec, and Dragoja swam the third-fastest time in the 4x100m freestyle qualifiers, posing a serious threat for a medal in Paris.
In the qualifiers for the European Championship in Paris, the Croatian men's 4x100m freestyle relay secured a spot in the final with the third-fastest time. Vlaho Nenadić, Jere Hribar, Vili Sivec, and Toni Dragoja set a new Croatian record of 3:13.06, improving the previous national mark by more than six and a half seconds.
Only the neutral athletes (3:12.81) and Great Britain (3:12.80) were faster than the Croatian quartet in the heats. The final is scheduled for 7:43 PM, and the Croatian relay has thrown its hat into the ring for a medal in the evening session.
The individual splits for the Croatian swimmers were: Vlaho Nenadić 48.50, Jere Hribar 47.97, Vili Sivec 48.32, and Toni Dragoja 48.27. Joining Croatia in the final will be Hungary, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Norway. The final can be watched live on HRT 2.
In the heats held on Thursday, August 13, 2026, the remaining Croatian swimmers did not manage to qualify for the next rounds. Luka Čarapović improved his personal and national record in the 50m backstroke by 0.06 seconds, but it was only good for 35th place. To make the semifinals, a time faster than 24.90 was required.
In the 200m freestyle, Franko Grgić posted a personal best of 1:47.51, which was enough for 25th place. He missed the semifinal cutoff by 0.35 seconds, as Italy's Carlos D'Ambrosio, who snuck in as the last qualifier (16th), was faster. Niko Janković, with a time of 1:48.28, his best of the season, finished 40th. Filip Mujan also recorded a season-best in the 200m freestyle with 1:51.20, placing 63rd, while Karlo Perčinić, clocking 1:51.92, was more than a second and a half slower than his earlier time this year and ended up 66th.
Amina Kajtaz swam 58.98 in the 100m butterfly, matching her personal best, and finished 21st. She missed the semifinals by 0.40 seconds behind Italy's Anita Gastaldi, who was the last to advance in 16th place.
