Apostolos Siskos Made History with Podium Double at European Champs
Back in May, while racing at the Acropolis Open, Apostolos Siskos became the third-fastest European in the history of the 200-meter backstroke. Clocking 1:54.12 for a Greek record, Siskos established a starting point for the biggest season of his career. That breakthrough in Athens clearly lifted Siskos to another level, as he showed at the recently concluded European Championships in Paris.
During the seven-day meet, Siskos secured a pair of medals, one for his performance in the 200 backstroke and another in the 200 butterfly. Greek swimmers are not frequently found on the podium at major international meets, but Euros was a reason for Hellenic celebration. Siskos was joined as a medalist by a teammate with the same first name, as Apostolos Christou won gold in the 100 backstroke. Two years ago, Christou was the Olympic silver medalist in the 200 backstroke.
The 21-year-old Siskos heads into the back half of the Quad, on the way to the 2028 Olympic Games, as a leading medal threat in the 200 backstroke. While Hungarian Hubert Kos was untouchable, going 1:52.30 in the semifinals and 1:53.08 in the final, Siskos’ silver medal was garnered in a national record of 1:53.81. He is now one of 12 athletes in history to break 1:54, Italian Thomas Ceccon also joining the club with his 1:53.96 at Euros.
Where Siskos surprised was in the 200 butterfly, contested a few days after the 200 backstroke. In setting a Greek record of 1:54.13, Siskos moved from sixth to the bronze-medal position over the last lap. His time was a two-second drop from what he went at the 2024 European Championships and suggests additional growth in the event is within reach.
Siskos’ hardware double made him the first swimmer in the history of the European Championships to medal in the 200 backstroke and 200 butterfly in the same year. Hungarian Laszlo Cseh, a 2026 inductee into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, managed the feat during his career. He was the silver medalist in the 200 back in 2006 and won gold in the 200 butterfly in 2012 and 2016.
European Championships Results
