Impressive: Aviv Barzelay qualifies for the 200m backstroke final at the European Championships
The Israeli swimmer finished eighth in the semifinals and, alongside Tom Minis, secured qualification for the 2027 World Championships. The relay team finished seventh in the 4x200m freestyle final, with Denis Loktev setting a new Israeli record.
Aviv Barzelay (Maccabi Haifa) secured her place in the 200m backstroke final at the European Swimming Championships, taking place tomorrow, after finishing eighth in Monday evening's semifinals with a time of 2:11.01. Barzelay improved upon her morning preliminary time and, in addition to reaching the final, achieved the qualification standard for the 2027 World Championships alongside teammate Tom Minis (Maccabi Haifa). This marked the first opportunity to set the standard for the World Championships, with both athletes needing only to confirm their form next year.
Minis finished ninth in the semifinals, missing the final by just six hundredths of a second. Her time of 2:11.07 was her second personal best of the day, leaving her as the first reserve for the final should another competitor withdraw.
The evening's other highlight came from the men's 4x200m freestyle relay, where a new Israeli record was established. Denis Loktev (Maccabi Ashdod), leading off the quartet, completed his 200m leg in 1:45.59, shattering his own previous Israeli record of 1:46.17. While Loktev's time is faster than the Olympic standard, the qualification window for the Los Angeles 2028 Games has not yet opened. In addition to the national record, Loktev also met the qualification standard for the 2027 World Championships.
The relay team, the first Israeli squad to reach a final at these European Championships, finished seventh overall with a time of 7:07.55. The team consisted of Loktev, Eitan Ben Shitrit (Jerusalem Rabbati), Yoav Romano (Maccabi Shoham), and Daniel Krichevsky (Aluma Ironi Hod HaSharon).
