The spotlight returns to European artistic swimming as the continent’s best converge in Funchal, Madeira for the 2025 European Aquatics Artistic Swimming Championships, held from 2–5 June at the Penteada Olympic Swimming Pools Complex.
This landmark edition—the first stand-alone championship since the event’s evolution from the European Cup—features 136 athletes from 21 nations and promises one of the most competitive fields in recent years.
With full-strength squads from Ukraine, France, and Israel back in the mix after a pared-down 2024 edition, Olympic-level lineups from powerhouses like Spain, Italy and Austria, and the return of numerous reigning European Champions from Greece and Great Britain, the battle for European titles is set to intensify across all 11 events.
The team of Spain clearly leads the charge as the top contender, having dominated the World Cup circuit so far under new head coach Andrea Fuentes, who led Team USA to an Olympic silver medal in Paris.
Spain also enters as the reigning European Champion in the Mixed Duet Technical, Mixed Duet Free, Men’s Solo Technical, and Team Technical. With all eight Paris Olympic bronze medallists back, and bolstered by standout returning champions and up-and-coming talents, the nation is undoubtedly one of the strongest on paper.
“Our goal as a team is always to compete at the highest level, and we’re working very hard to do that here,” Fuentes said. “We’re striving to be leaders in artistic impression, to execute cleanly, and to swim with the kind of routines that protect our athletes in terms of difficulty and time spent underwater. Personally, I’m so happy to be back at the European Championships after some time away. There’s a special joy and energy to competing in Europe, and we’re very excited to feel that sense of community and connection with our European friends. We have the added challenge of debuting a brand-new acrobatic routine, so it’s a big moment for us. It’s especially exciting to present it for the first time at these European Championships.”
Italy is the only other nation set to appear across all 11 events. The Italians had medalled in all three team events in the 2024 European Championships in Belgrade, although with a younger squad then. With its top athletes now back in the mix, the nation is surely a very strong podium contender in most events.
Greece, meanwhile, is the defending champion in Team Free, but has decided to skip this event in Funchal. Under new coach Meng Chen, the Greeks will nonetheless aim to replicate their team medal success from Belgrade in the Team Technical and Acrobatic events,
Ukraine, vice-world champions in Team Acrobatic, remains formidable in that event and will look to re-establish itself as podium regular at the continental level with a very renewed squad. Finally, the team of France, fourth at the Paris Games, should never be counted out, even with its renewed roster as well. Like Greece, both of these nations will also focus on the Team Technical and Acrobatic events only.
The solos will feature some of Europe’s finest, with several seasoned athletes and rising stars battling it out. All three medalists from Belgrade 2024 return, although only two-time vice-European champion Klara Bleyer of Germany will compete in both events.
Vasiliki Alexandri of Austria, reigning two-time European Champion and European Aquatics Best Female Artistic Swimmer of 2024, has chosen to concentrate solely on the Solo Technical. She will face tough competition from Bleyer but also Italy’s Enrica Piccoli, Ukraine’s Daria Moshynska, and Spain’s Iris Tio Casas, who is seeking her first European solo medal after a world bronze in 2023.
In the Solo Free, expect additional podium challenges from 2024 European bronze medalist Marloes Steenbeek of the Netherlands, who just won the U.S. Collegiate National Solo title in her freshman season, and Zoi Karangelou of Greece, reigning World Junior Champion. Georgia’s Maria Alavidze is also one to watch, fresh off a historic silver at the last World Cup,, as well as San Marino’s Jasmine Verbena, coming off two gold medals at the Games of Small States of Europe literally yesterday.
On the men’s side, Spain’s Dennis Gonzalez Boneu will look to defend his Solo Technical title, while Great Britain’s Ranjuo Tomblin, reigning European Champion in Solo Free, also returns. Making his solo debut at a senior European Championships is Italy’s Filippo Pelati, reigning two-time European Junior Champion, who will be aiming to make an immediate impact.
With none of the top three women’s duets from last year returning, the fight for the medals in those events is bound to be thrilling.
Austria’s Anna-Maria and Eirini-Marina Alexandri, 2023 European champions who missed last year’s competition due to illness, are back on the European stage and clearly hungry for success after a disappointing fourth-place in the Olympic Games that had them questioning their future in the sport.
Under new head coach Takako Nakajima and fresh from a gold-winning performance in the latest World Cup, the triplet sisters will only focus on the Duet Technical, leaving even more room for surprises in the Duet Free.
Spain has introduced two new pairings over the season, and both have greatly impressed on the World Cup circuit, positioning themselves as strong medal contenders in Funchal. France will field its Olympic duet, while Italy and Ukraine also bring competitive pairs. Germany’s new duet could also turn heads and potentially cause some upsets.
In the Mixed Duet, Spain enters again as a clear favourite, particularly in the free routine. In their first season together, Dennis Gonzalez Boneu and Iris Tio Casas are arguably delivering one of the most memorable performances time and time again. Their routine is a must-watch, especially as they have already collected five perfect 10s in artistic impression this year and remain undefeated so far.
Italy will nonetheless look to challenge with a revamped pair of Filippo Pelati and Lucrezia Ruggiero, with the nation aiming to build on its two silver medals from Belgrade. Great Britain is expected to field a strong mixed duet as well, with an exciting new pairing of Olympic silver medalist Isabelle Thorpe and Ranjuo Tomblin, surely drawing significant interest for their debut.
With most of Europe’s top athletes in attendance and a full slate of events, the 2025 European Aquatics Artistic Swimming Championships in Funchal are set to be one of the most dynamic and complete continental meets in recent memory.
Christina Marmet for European Aquatics
Cover photo: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
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