Immediately following some of the events of the European Championships, the 2025 COMEN Cup also took place in Funchal, offering a first glimpse this season at many of the top youth athletes in the 13–15 (and up to 16 for boys) age group ahead of the World Youth Championships later this summer.

Organized by the Mediterranean Swimming Confederation, the competition welcomed countries that are COMEN members, but also opened its doors to a few additional, non-COMEN nations such as the Netherlands, Austria, and even Colombia.

 

One of the exceptional performers of this competition was undoubtedly  Türkiye’s Selin Hurmeric, who continued to confirm her status as one of the most technically refined and talented athletes in this age group. 

The reigning European Youth and COMEN Champion in figures returned to this event, and put on an absolute clinic. She scored a jaw-dropping 83.1818 in figures, distancing herself from the rest of the field by over five points. For context, she had won last year’s Europeans with 82.6909, and the winner of Russia’s nationals this year scored 82.6183. 

In solo, the 15-year-old also claimed gold with a score of 351.0492, counting a basemark and with a whopping 31-point lead over the next swimmer, showcasing her high-level technique and strong presence throughout her “Rise like a Phoenix” routine. 

She added silver in duet alongside Ayca Boru, and bronze in free combination, results that also reflected the strength of the broader Turkish team, which ultimately placed second in the overall COMEN Cup Trophy standings.

Hurmeric, meanwhile, continues to lead the way and will undoubtedly be one of the top athletes to watch at Youth Worlds.

 

France also had a strong showing in Funchal thanks to the standout performances of Macéo Vanhée-Dedieu and Carla Pusta. Reigning vice-European Youth Champion, this mixed duet pair delivered a dynamic routine set to the theme of “Pasodoble,” scoring 336.4346 to win gold. Their connection in the water and musical interpretation stood out clearly, proving that they will be a force to be reckoned with this summer.

Vanhée-Dedieu, reigning European Youth Champion, also earned gold in the men’s figures rankings, and in solo with his “Warriors” routine scoring 335.7703. As he seemingly flew effortlessly above the water, he combined power, strength and clean execution, with expressive movement throughout and excellent control in his hybrids – the first one being particularly outstanding, featuring a barracuda split to a stunning vertical hold.

Pusta, for her part, clinched silver in solo with her sharp “Carmen” routine, and is scheduled to continue her season at both the European Junior and World Youth Championships. 

 

The Netherlands brought a young and promising delegation to Funchal, with several swimmers making their international debuts on the big stage. Noah Van Beest delivered a strong performance across all of his events, earning bronze in both solo and figures, and silver in mixed duet with Féline Neerincx swimming to Dire Straits’ “Money For Nothing”. 

Van Beest, who loves creating routines, swam his solo to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, which he choreographed himself, albeit advised by coach Esther Jauma, naturally. It was clear how much he enjoyed swimming; his musicality and expressiveness, combined with a confident execution, marked a solid first international outing. The 16-year-old has been doing artistic swimming for three years, competing for two, and was brought into it by his mother who was an artistic swimmer herself.

In duet, Lareyna Rosalia and Noa Van Ettinger also made a strong impression, earning silver with their “Esperanza” routine. Van Ettinger added another bronze medal in figures. Across the board, the Dutch athletes had a breakout competition, showing growing technical skill, clear enjoyment in their performances, and strong potential for the years ahead.

 

Spain, represented here by the club CN Sabadell, secured the COMEN Cup Trophy with consistent results across multiple events. The club earned podium finishes in every category, including gold in the duet and free combination, silver in mixed duet, team, and women’s figures, and bronze in both solo events and men’s figures. Their depth and experience contributed to their overall win, and a few of these athletes will be aiming for further success at Youth Worlds with the Spanish national team.

Colombia and Belgium, both represented by club (Club Ciudad De Cali) or province teams (Fédération Francophone Belge de Natation), each earned a bronze medal in the team event, in the Open and COMEN rankings, respectively. Host nation Portugal celebrated two bronze medals in the duet and mixed duet events, much to the delight of the local crowd in Funchal.

Israel’s youth team took gold in team and silver in free combination. In the former, the squad took advantage of a costly basemark received by Spain and delivered a clean performance to claim the title with their “Spirit of Japan” choreography. Coaches Yael Polka and Elina Halemsky, both former national team members, are building something special with this team.

Greece’s Stylianos Koukouselis Fouskis, the sole representative from his country at this meet, had a busy schedule in Funchal as he competed in both the COMEN Cup and the senior European Championships. He still managed to come away with silver medals in figures and solo, while showing consistency and composure across both age groups.

Kira Schrottner of Austria also delivered a noteworthy performance, securing a silver medal in figures. She added a fourth-place finish in solo, just missing the podium but further establishing herself as an athlete to keep an eye on in this age group.

Finally, Malta presented a mixed duet for the first time, with Jude Bonnici Peresso and Nuria Violante performing a routine to the theme of “Tarzan and Jane” and placing sixth. The pair began training together in January, with the routine choreographed in March, but this competition marked their third together already.

This year’s COMEN Cup was once again a valuable step in the development of the younger athletes of the continent and beyond. With the World Youth Championships set for late August, many of these swimmers now look ahead to building on their Funchal performances on an even larger stage. Having the chance to train alongside and watch the senior athletes at the European Championships also made for a memorable and motivating experience, and one that will surely stay with them as they continue to grow in the sport.

ARTICLE BY CHRISTINA MARMET

Photos: Pedro Vasconcelos

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