Kalia Antoniou finishes 17th in 100m freestyle at European Aquatics Championships

Cypriot swimmer Kalia Antoniou finished in 17th place in the 100m freestyle event at the 2026 European Aquatics Championships held in Paris on August 10, 2026. During the preliminary heats, she recorded a time of 54.63 seconds, which led to a swim-off against Belgian athlete Roos Vanotterdijk due to a tie in the standings. Although Antoniou improved her performance to 54.31 seconds in the deciding race, Vanotterdijk finished in 53.70 seconds, securing the last spot in the semifinals.

Following the swim-off, Antoniou was officially ranked 17th, designating her as the first reserve athlete for the semifinal round. While she remains on standby in case a spot opens up, her primary focus shifts to her upcoming schedule at the championships. Antoniou is set to compete in the 50m butterfly on Tuesday, August 11. On the same day, teammate Maria Erokina is scheduled to make her debut at the event, competing in the 100m breaststroke.