South Africa’s Kris Mihaylov powered to gold in the 200m butterfly at the World Aquatics Junior Championships in Otopeni, capping off a strong week for the national team.
Otopeni, Romania (26 August 2025) – Kris Mihaylov delivered a golden moment for South Africa at the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania, winning the men’s 200m butterfly in emphatic style.
In a performance filled with heart, power and precision, Kris touched the wall in 1:56.16 to claim the title of world junior champion. His dominance was clear from the heats all the way to the final, where he left no doubt about who ruled the pool on the night.
“From topping the Heats to standing tallest on the podium! Kris, you’ve made South Africa unbelievably proud!” came the jubilant message from his team after his victory.
Kris’ gold was the highlight of a memorable week for the South African juniors, who competed with determination and promise against some of the best young swimmers in the world.
The 2025 edition of the World Aquatics Junior Championships ran from 19 to 24 August at the Otopeni Aquatics Complex, a modern 2,400-seater venue on the outskirts of Bucharest.
For the rest of Team South Africa, there were encouraging signs across the programme. Adrian van Wyk placed 14th in the men’s 200m backstroke in 2:02.15, with Helgaard Muller finishing 18th in 2:02.92. In the women’s 200m breaststroke, Keira van Heerden secured 22nd place with 2:36.50, while Sarah McLaren took 32nd in 2:44.41.
The men’s 200m butterfly produced more South African representation, with Kris’ teammate Tai Pearson finishing 23rd in 2:04.41. In the women’s 200m freestyle, Hannah Mouton clocked 2:04.36 to take 24th, and Sofia French came 32nd in 2:07.06.
Meanwhile, in the endurance-heavy men’s 1500m freestyle, Matthew Goller battled to 19th place with 15:42.57, and Stephan Engelbrecht secured 22nd in 15:48.07.
The week in Otopeni will be remembered for Kris’ golden swim, but just as importantly, it highlighted the depth and potential of South Africa’s next generation of swimmers. With growing international experience, the team showed they are ready to compete on the world stage.
Sources: Swimming South Africa
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