--- title: "Two records and two finalists: how Ukrainians Babenko and Lisovets rewrote swimming history at Euro 2026" description: "πŸŠβ€β™‚οΈ Ukrainians Babenko and Lisovets took 4th and 5th places in the 50m breaststroke final at Euro 2026 in Paris! πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦ πŸ₯‰ Babenko missed bronze by just 0.1 sec. πŸ“ˆ Both swimmers set new Ukrainian records during one tournament! πŸ† Gold was won by Italian Martinenghi. #Sport #Swimming #Ukraine #Euro2026" date: 2026-08-16T07:08:06.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/babenko-lisovets-records-euro-2026-swimming-history tags: [swimming, european-championships, ukraine, records, paris-2026] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Two records and two finalists: how Ukrainians Babenko and Lisovets rewrote swimming history at Euro 2026 ![Ukrainian swimmer in TYR cap and goggles at pool finish, symbolizing historic achievement at Euro 2026](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/16/babenko-lisovets-record-euro-2026/babenko-lisovets-record-euro-2026-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Stepan Babenko and Volodymyr Lisovets took 4th and 5th places in the 50m breaststroke final at Euro 2026 - Both swimmers set new Ukrainian records during a single tournament - Babenko missed the bronze medal by just 0.1 seconds - Ukraine had two swimmers in the European Championship final for the first time in several years In Paris, at the 2026 European Aquatics Championships, the Ukrainian national team demonstrated an outstanding result in the 50-meter breaststroke discipline. In the final race, which turned into a real battle for medals, Ukrainian athletes Stepan Babenko and Volodymyr Lisovets took fourth and fifth places, respectively. This event became historic: for the first time in several years, Ukraine represented two swimmers in the final of the senior European Championship in this distance. ### Final showdown: 0.1 seconds from the podium The final race gave spectators an exciting struggle. Stepan Babenko finished fourth with a time of 26.72 seconds, losing to the bronze medalist by just 0.10 seconds. Third place went to Italian Simone Cerasuolo, who showed a time of 26.82 seconds (the time matched the silver, but he lost on additional indicators). The European Championship gold was won by another Italian representative, NicolΓ² Martinenghi, with a result of 26.57 seconds. Volodymyr Lisovets, showing a time of 26.78 seconds, took fifth place. Both Ukrainians finished with a result that became a new national record. ### Historical record changes during a single tournament Particular attention deserves the dynamics of Ukraine's records in the 50-meter breaststroke. As late as May, the best result in the country's history was considered Stepan Babenko's achievement β€” 27.00 seconds. However, in the semi-finals of the European Championship, Volodymyr Lisovets swam the distance in 26.84 seconds, overtaking his teammate and setting a new record. But in the main race, Babenko again took the lead, showing 26.72 seconds. Thus, Ukraine's record changed twice during one tournament, and its authors were two swimmers who ultimately ended up in the top 5 of the final together. ### Personal progress and athletes' emotions For Stepan Babenko, this became a logical continuation of rapid progress. Just a few months ago, his national record was 27.00 seconds, and now the Ukrainian has already crossed the 26.80 mark. The athlete himself admitted that he did not expect to update the national record in the final, as before the race he did not feel as good as in the semi-finals. "I am very pleased with this result. I didn't expect it to turn out this way. I swam in the semi-finals β€” I felt the water much better and felt very good. And now not so much, but somehow improved the result, I don't know," Babenko said in a comment to Suspilne Sport. ### Lisovets' view: mistakes and achievements Volodymyr Lisovets noted that his mistakes prevented him from performing better. At the same time, the swimmer is satisfied with the result. "We did everything 100%. I won't say that I felt very good, and I made a few mistakes. It could have been better, but we have fourth and fifth places β€” that is a very good result," the Ukrainian noted. For Lisovets, this was already the second final of the continental championship in his career – in 2022 he took seventh place. Babenko reached the decisive race of the senior Euro for the first time. ### Additional achievements of the Ukrainian national team At the same championship, another record among Ukrainian swimmers was set by Mykyta Sheremet, who successfully qualified for the semi-finals of the 50-meter freestyle. This indicates that the Ukrainian swimming national team is in a stage of active development and progress, demonstrating high results on the international arena. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What places did the Ukrainian swimmers take in the 50m breaststroke final at Euro 2026? **A:** Stepan Babenko took 4th place, Volodymyr Lisovets β€” 5th place. ### Q: Did the Ukrainian swimmers set new records? **A:** Yes, both swimmers set new Ukrainian records during one tournament. ### Q: Who won the gold in the 50m breaststroke final? **A:** Gold was won by Italian NicolΓ² Martinenghi with a result of 26.57 seconds. ### Q: What time did Stepan Babenko show? **A:** Stepan Babenko showed a time of 26.72 seconds. ### Q: What time did Volodymyr Lisovets show? **A:** Volodymyr Lisovets showed a time of 26.78 seconds.