LEN European Aquatics Championships

The European Aquatics Championships is the continental Aquatics championship for Europe, which is organised by LEN—the governing body for aquatics in Europe. The Championships are currently held every two years (in even years); and since 2022, they have included 5 aquatics disciplines: Swimming (long course/50m pool), Diving, Synchronised swimming, Open water swimming and High diving. Prior to 1999, the championships also included Water polo, which beginning in 1999 LEN split-off into a separate championships. The open water events are not held during the Olympic year.

European Aquatics Championships
Statusactive
Genresporting event
Date(s)mid-year
Frequencybiennial
Countryvarying
Inaugurated1926 (1926)

The Championships are generally held over a two-week time-period in mid-to-late Summer; however, in the most recent Summer Olympics years (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020), the Championships were moved to the Spring to be moved away from the Summer Olympic Games.

The swimming portion of these championships is considered one of the pre-eminent swimming competitions in the world. Note however that LEN also conducts an annual short-course (25 meters) swimming championship, which is a completely separate and a completely distinct event (typically held in early December).

Championships

Historically, the Championships were first held in 1926, and included water polo prior to 1999 when the discipline was moved to the European Water Polo Championship. From 1973-1999 Europeans were held in years without a Summer Olympics or World Championships, save 1979 (1973 being the inception year of the World Championships; and 1999 being the last year before Worlds moved from even-years between Summer Olympics to every-odd year beginning in 2001). Women were first allowed to participate at the second Championships in 1927[1]

NumberYearHost cityCountryEventsDatesFirst in the Medal TableSecond in the Medal TableThird in the Medal Table
11926Budapest  Hungary918–22 August 1926  Germany  Sweden  Hungary
21927Bologna  Italy1631 August – 4 September 1927  Germany  Sweden  Netherlands
31931Paris  France1623–30 August 1931  Hungary  Germany  Netherlands
41934Magdeburg  Germany1612–19 August 1934  Germany  Netherlands  Hungary
51938London  Great Britain166–13 August 1938 Germany  Denmark  Netherlands
61947Monte Carlo  Monaco1610–14 September 1947  France  Denmark  Hungary
71950Vienna  Austria1620–27 August 1950  France  Netherlands  West Germany
81954Turin  Italy1831 August – 5 September 1954  Hungary  Soviet Union  East Germany
91958Budapest  Hungary2031 August – 6 September 1958  Soviet Union  Great Britain  Netherlands
101962Leipzig  East Germany2318–25 August 1962  Netherlands  East Germany  Soviet Union
111966Utrecht  Netherlands2320–27 August 1966  Soviet Union  East Germany  Netherlands
121970Barcelona  Spain345–13 September 1970  East Germany  Soviet Union  West Germany
131974Vienna  Austria3718–25 August 1974  East Germany  West Germany  Great Britain
141977Jönköping  Sweden3714–21 August 1977  East Germany  Soviet Union  West Germany
151981Split  Yugoslavia374–12 September 1981  East Germany  Soviet Union  Great Britain
161983Rome  Italy3822–27 August 1983  East Germany  Soviet Union  West Germany
171985Sofia
Oslo
 Bulgaria
 Norway
394–11 August 1985
12–18 August 1985
 East Germany  Soviet Union  West Germany
181987Strasbourg  France4116–23 August 1987  East Germany  Soviet Union  West Germany
191989Bonn  West Germany4315–20 August 1989  East Germany  Soviet Union  France
201991Athens
Terracina
 Greece
 Italy
4718–25 August 1991
14–15 September 1991
 Soviet Union  Germany  Hungary
211993Sheffield
Slapy
 Great Britain
 Czech Republic
473–8 August 1993
28–29 August 1993
 Germany  Russia  Hungary
221995Vienna  Austria4722–27 August 1995  Russia  Germany  Hungary
231997Seville  Spain5119–24 August 1997  Russia  Germany  Hungary
241999Istanbul  Turkey5526 July – 1 August 1999  Germany  Russia  Netherlands
252000Helsinki  Finland553–9 July 2000  Russia  Germany  Italy
262002Berlin  Germany5729 July – 4 August 2002  Germany  Russia  Italy
272004Madrid  Spain585–16 May 2004  Ukraine  Russia  Italy
282006Budapest  Hungary5826 July – 6 August 2006  Russia  Germany  France
292008Eindhoven  Netherlands5413–24 March 2008  Russia  Italy  France
302010Budapest  Hungary614–15 August 2010  Russia  Germany  France
312012Debrecen
Eindhoven
 Hungary
 Netherlands
5515–27 May 2012  Hungary  Germany  Italy
322014Berlin  Germany6413–24 August 2014  Great Britain  Russia  Italy
332016London  Great Britain649–22 May 2016  Great Britain  Hungary  Russia
342018[a]Glasgow
Edinburgh
 Great Britain722–12 August 2018  Russia  Great Britain  Italy
352020Budapest  Hungary7310–23 May 2021  Russia  Great Britain  Italy
362022Rome  Italy7711–21 August 2022  Italy  Great Britain  Ukraine
372024Belgrade  Serbia7410–23 June 2024  Hungary  Spain  Greece
382026Paris  France25 July – 8 August 2026

Medal tables (1926–2024)

Updated after the 2024 European Aquatics Championships.

Overall

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  Russia19711687400
2  Germany175166135476
3  East Germany14311568326
4  Hungary13411691341
5  Italy130160205495
6  Great Britain114120141375
7  Soviet Union978779263
8  France9410197292
9  Netherlands909892280
10  Sweden707875223
11  Ukraine697370212
12  West Germany413349123
13  Spain386251151
14  Denmark30243488
15  Poland22262977
16  Austria17202360
17  Romania14263272
18  Greece13212862
19  Finland1391234
20  Israel761225
21  Czech Republic721726
22  Norway69520
23  Belgium671730
24  Switzerland5132139
25  Belarus5101732
26  Ireland57214
27  Serbia5128
28  Lithuania461121
29  Slovakia311418
30  Bulgaria34916
31  Yugoslavia2141329
32  Croatia27716
33  Czechoslovakia251118
34  Slovenia251017
35  Turkey2158
36  Portugal1157
37  Bosnia and Herzegovina1113
38  Estonia1102
39  Faroe Islands0303
40  Iceland0213
41  Yugoslavia0101
42  Armenia0011
Totals (42 entries)1570156815694707

Note: The table includes medals won in swimming (since 1926), diving (since 1926), synchronized swimming (since 1974), open water swimming (since 1991), high diving (since 2022) and water polo since 1926 until and including 1997 when the discipline was part of the event. From 1999 the water polo event was separated and got its own independent tournament as European Water Polo Championship.

As of 2024, Albania, Andorra, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Gibraltar, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia and San Marino have yet to win a medal.

Swimming (1926–2024)[2]

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  East Germany13210055287
2  Hungary1149775286
3  Germany948973256
4  Russia795746182
5  Italy7690108274
6  Great Britain7392113278
7  France706463197
8  Netherlands658275222
9  Sweden625866186
10  Soviet Union615552168
11  Ukraine35312591
12  West Germany352742104
13  Denmark28243082
14  Spain23262877
15  Poland21252773
16  Romania13253270
17  Greece11142045
18  Finland117826
19  Austria9101130
20  Israel76922
21  Norway68519
22  Belgium671427
23  Czech Republic621119
24  Belarus571022
25  Ireland57113
26  Serbia5117
27  Switzerland481123
28  Lithuania461121
29  Slovakia311216
30  Croatia27716
31  Slovenia251017
32  Bulgaria23712
33  Turkey2158
34  Yugoslavia17917
35  Czechoslovakia13913
36  Portugal1146
37  Bosnia and Herzegovina1113
38  Estonia1102
39  Faroe Islands0303
40  Iceland0213
Totals (40 entries)1076107010773223

Diving (1926–2024)

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  Germany595646161
2  Russia534333129
3  Soviet Union27262477
4  Great Britain27222271
5  Italy24252877
6  Ukraine18223474
7  East Germany11141338
8  France961126
9  Sweden817934
10  Austria56516
11  Spain47415
12  West Germany4329
13  Netherlands4127
14  Finland2248
15  Denmark2046
16  Hungary15713
17  Czechoslovakia1124
 Poland1124
19  Bulgaria1102
20  Belarus0257
21  Switzerland0202
22  Norway0101
23  Armenia0011
 Ireland0011
Totals (24 entries)261263259783

Artistic swimming (1974–2024)

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  Russia533056
2  Ukraine15191145
3  Great Britain135624
4  Spain11241247
5  France919937
6  Italy4223763
7  Soviet Union4318
8  Netherlands36817
9  Austria34613
10  Greece15612
11  Germany1203
12  West Germany0336
13  Switzerland01910
14  Belarus0123
15  Israel0033
16  Slovakia0022
17  Hungary0011
 Serbia0011
Totals (18 entries)117117117351

Open water swimming (1991–2024)

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  Italy21232569
2  Germany20161450
3  Netherlands138425
4  Russia1211730
5  Hungary76619
6  France6111229
7  Greece1225
8  Switzerland1214
9  Great Britain1102
10  Czech Republic1067
11  Ukraine1001
12  Spain0459
13  Czechoslovakia0101
14  Bulgaria0022
15  Portugal0011
Totals (15 entries)848585254

High diving (2022)

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  Romania1102
2  Germany1001
3  Ukraine0101
4  Italy0022
Totals (4 entries)2226

Water polo (1926–1997)

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  Hungary128222
2  Soviet Union53210
3  Netherlands5139
4  Italy50510
5  West Germany2024
6  Yugoslavia17412
7  Germany0325
8  Sweden0303
9  Russia0213
10  France0123
 Spain0123
12  East Germany0101
 Yugoslavia0101
14  Belgium0033
15  Austria0011
Totals (15 entries)30312990

Multiple medalists in swimming (long course)

These table shows swimmers who have won at least 7 gold medals at the European Championships. Update after the 2024 European Aquatics Championships.[3][4]

  Still active

Men

#SwimmerCountry Total
1Alexander Popov  Soviet Union
 Russia
213226
2Adam Peaty  Great Britain160016
3László Cseh  Hungary144523
4Michael Gross  West Germany134219
5Pieter van den Hoogenband  Netherlands105419
6Emiliano Brembilla  Italy103013
7Filippo Magnini  Italy95519
8Peter Nocke  West Germany91010
9Kristóf Milák  Hungary82010
10Tamás Darnyi  Hungary8008
11Duncan Scott  Great Britain74011
12Oleh Lisohor  Ukraine73313
13James Guy  Great Britain72312

Women

#SwimmerCountry Total
1Franziska van Almsick  Germany183021
2Sarah Sjöström  Sweden177428
3Katinka Hosszú  Hungary156425
4Heike Friedrich  East Germany
 Germany
112013
5Therese Alshammar  Sweden107421
6Fran Halsall  Great Britain103417
7Yana Klochkova  Ukraine102416
8Sandra Völker  Germany94417
9Krisztina Egerszegi  Hungary94013
9Astrid Strauss  East Germany94013
11Freya Anderson  Great Britain93416
12Laure Manaudou  France91313
13Kristin Otto  East Germany91111
14Ute Geweniger  East Germany91010
15Simona Quadarella  Italy81110
16Federica Pellegrini  Italy76720
17Yuliya Yefimova  Russia74213
18Mette Jacobsen  Denmark73818
19Daniela Hunger  East Germany
 Germany
73010
20Boglárka Kapás  Hungary72413
20Ágnes Kovács  Hungary72413
22Lucy Hope  Great Britain7209
22Britta Steffen  Germany7209

Championships records

See also

References