Noè Ponti Speeds To 50 Fly Title At Swiss Championships; Antonio Djakovic Clinches Golden Double
Noè Ponti ended 2024 with world records and world titles and on Thursday he returned to the top of the podium once more with a 22.88 victory in the 50 fly at the 2025 Swiss Championships.
The 23-year-old posted notice of his intent in prelims, where he went 22.77, 0.12 off his Swiss record of 22.65 set at last year’s national Championships, before returning to the pool in Sursee to comfortably defend his title in 22.88. Robin Yeboah and Noah Ruben Retzler fought their own battle behind Ponti with the former taking second in 24.27 to 24.32.
Ponti’s prelims time is the fastest in the world this year, 0.06 inside the 22.83 he posted in Dubai in February.
Ponti scorched his way around the international circuit in the latter months of 2024. He lowered the 50 fly s/c world record on four occasions, finishing with a 21.32 blast in Budapest that secured one of three golds at short-course worlds last December.
He went on to topple Caeleb Dressel’s global 100 fly standard in 47.71, going 0.07 inside the record of 47.78 set by the nine-time Olympic champion in November 2020 in the same Duna Arena pool. That followed his title in the 100IM where he set championship and Swiss records in 50.33.
All that despite having started military service in early November with Ponti based in Macolin in the canton of Bern for four weeks before returning to his base at the National Training Centre in Tenero. He’d also taken six weeks away from the pool following the Olympics where he was fourth – 0.10 off the podium – in the 100 fly and fifth over 200.
Antonio Djakovic emerged victorious in the 200 free following a duel with Balint Ashton. Just 0.03 separated the pair at halfway with Djakovic extending the lead to 0.20 at the final turn and despite the best efforts of Ashton, the 2024 European bronze medallist took the title in 1:49.12.
Ashton, of Great Britain, was 0.07secs behind in 1:49.19 with Mattia Mauri more than two seconds adrift in 1:51.29 as the second Swiss home.
Djakovic returned around 45 minutes later for the fastest heat of the 1500 free. Tracking the leaders, Djakovic made his move with 200m to go as he went past Swiss record-holder Julio Bernardon to come home in 15:35.76 to 15:39.98. Paul Niederberger was third in 15:40.48.
Gian-Luca Gartmann won the men’s 100br in 1:02.15.
Flavio Bucca joined Gartmann, Ponti and Djakovic for the men’s medley relay. Ponti split 50.49 on the fly leg with Djakovic anchoring the quartet in 50.16 as the Schwimmclub Uster quartet won in 3:38.13.
Havana Cueto Cabrera led throughout to win the women’s 100m breaststroke in 1:09.34 ahead of Rahel Haller (1:10.32) and Kay-Lyn Löhr (1:10.52).
Angelina Patt was 4.75secs behind Fanny Borer at halfway in the women’s 400IM, a deficit she had whittled down to 0.04 going into the freestyle leg. Patt pulled ahead and came home in 4:56.84 for victory with Borer second in 4:58.82 and Alexandra Froissart third in 4:59.28.
There were also wins for Gaia Rasmussen in the 200 free (2:01.36) and Angelique Brugger in the 50 fly (27.44).
Geneve Natation 1885 won the women’s medley relay in 4:14.75.
