Noè Ponti leads the 15-strong Swiss squad for next week's European Short Course Championships in Lublin. The swimmer from Ticino is planning four starts in Poland.
01.12.2025, 04:31
01.12.2025, 06:40
SDA
Ponti has planned the same competition program as at the last continental championships in the small pool two years ago in Otopeni. In Romania, he won gold in the dolphin style over 50, 100 and 200 m, as well as silver in the 100 m medley. Logically, the world record holder in the 50 m dolphin will be a contender for several more titles. He leads the European season's best list over the three dolphin distances.
The Swiss delegation is a mixed bag. Newcomers to the European Championships such as Angelina Patt, Frédéric Hoigné and Julien Niederberger have also found a place. As different as the requirements are, as individual are the respective objectives. For the rookies, it is primarily about gaining experience at the highest European level and confirming their best performances.
The younger members of the team have already had many successes at national level and also showed extremely strong form at the Swiss Championships in Uster two weeks ago. Maël Allegrini, Vanna Djakovic, Angelina Patt and Paul Niederberger, who has shone in open water in particular so far, have beaten the European Championship limits with national bests and won several titles and medals.
More established athletes such as Marius Toscan and Gian-Luca Gartmann are aiming to qualify for the finals. For Antonio Djakovic, the aim is to swim his way back into the medals. The 23-year-old swimmer from SC Uster took a new path in his preparation and, in consultation with his coach Pablo Kutscher, trained twice in the strong group of the Swedish national performance center, as well as for three weeks at the altitude of Livigno. Thierry Bollin, who won bronze in the 50 m backstroke at the last European Short Course Championships, will also be back at the start.
The big absentee from the Swiss team in Lublin is Roman Mityukov. The 25-year-old from Geneva, who came third in the 200 m backstroke at last year's Olympic Games in Paris, will not be taking part and is instead focusing on an optimal training cycle.
