Tajus Juska Becomes Youngest Swimmer to Break 49 Seconds in 100 Freestyle

07/07/2024 02:53 PM

By Riley Overend on SwimSwam

2024 EUROPEAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, July 2nd – Sunday, July 7th
• Prelims at 9:30am local/Finals at 6pm local
• Lazdynai Pool, Vilnius, Lithuania
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Entries
• Day 1 Prelims Recap/Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap/Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Finals Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Recap/Day 4 Finals Recap
• Day 5 Prelims Recap/Day 5 Finals Recap
• Day 6 Finals Recap
• Live Results
• Livestream ($)

At 15 years old, Tajus Juska became the youngest swimmer ever to break 49 seconds in the 100-meter freestyle on his way to the European junior title on Sunday in his native Lithuania.

Juska reached the wall in 48.74, dropping almost a second off his previous-best 49.55 that qualified him 7th for Sunday’s final. He appears to be the fastest 15-year-old of all time by more than a few tenths ahead of Thomas Heilman(49.06).

Fastest 15-Year-Old 100 Freestylers

1. Tajus Juska (LTU) – 48.74, 2024
2. Thomas Heilman (USA) – 49.06, 2022
3. Flynn Southam (AUS) – 49.55, 2021
4. Tie: Jacob Whittle (GBR) / Maximus Williamson (USA) – 50.14, 2020/2022
5. –

It’s difficult to aggregate every age record from around the world, but Juska also appears to be one of the fastest 100 freestylers ever among 16-and-under boys. He’s faster than Kaii Winkler's U.S. boys 15-16 national age group (NAG) record of 48.81 from last year — and he only just turned 15.

Fastest 15-16 100 Freestylers

1. David Popovici (ROU) – 47.30, 2021
2. Jacob Whittle (GBR) – 48.11, 2021
3. Flynn Southam (AUS) – 48.60, 2022
4. Kyle Chalmers (AUS) – 48.69, 2015
5. Tajus Juska (LTU) – 48.74, 2024

BOYS 100 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World junior record: 46.86 – David Popovici (ROU), 2022
• European junior record: 46.86 – David Popovici (ROU), 2022
• Meet record: 47.30 – David Popovici (ROU), 2021
• 2023 European junior champion: Boldizsar Magda (HUN) – 49.52

PODIUM:

• GOLD: Tajus Juska (LTU) – 48.74
• SILVER: Vlaho Nenadic (CRO) – 48.80
• BRONZE: Carlos D'Ambrosio (ITA) – 48.99

Juska touched just a blink ahead of 18-year-old Croatian Vlaho Nenadic (48.80) for his first gold medal at the European Junior Championships. He’s now within a second of the overall Lithuanian record stands at 48.04 by Danas Rapsys from last month's European Championships. Earlier this week, Juska became the fastest 15-year-old 50 freestyler of all time at 22.34 on his way to the bronze medal.

Italian 17-year-old Carlos D'Ambrosio broke 49 seconds for the first time en route to the bronze medal in 48.99.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Tajus Juska Becomes Youngest Swimmer to Break 49 Seconds in 100 Freestyle