Mityukov wins third medal for Switzerland at Paris Olympics

On Swiss National Day, the World Championship silver medallist went one better, setting a new national record. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

Roman Mityukov secured his third Swiss medal at the Paris Summer Games with a bronze in the 200m backstroke. Just two days after his 24th birthday, the Geneva swimmer gifted himself a belated present.

Mityukov had signalled his medal ambitions the day before with personal bests in the heats and the second-fastest time in the semi-finals. On Swiss National Day, the World Championship silver medallist went one better, setting a new national record.

+Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox

His time of 1:54.85 minutes in the 200m backstroke was slightly slower than his record at last year’s World Championships in Fukuoka, where he won bronze. Now, on the grandest stage of all, he delivered once more.

From catch-up to glory

In his first Olympic final, Mityukov adopted a cautious approach. After three of the four lengths, he was in 5th place but executed a strong final spurt. Ultimately, he was beaten only by Hungarian favourite Hubert Kos (1:54.26) and Greek swimmer Apostolos Christou, missing silver by just three hundredths of a second.

+Faster, higher, stronger, Swisser: let the 2024 Olympic Games begin!

“A medal was my goal. I’m very proud of myself,” said Mityukov. “The goal has been achieved. I rarely say it, but I’m really proud of what I’ve accomplished.”

His journey has not been without setbacks. He finished fourth three times at the 2022 European Championships. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

Mityukov’s success is a testament to the hard work he has put in under the guidance of coach Clément Bailly in Geneva. Despite his cautious goal-setting, Mityukov has managed to balance sport and studies without compromising his development as a top swimmer.

Overcoming challenges

His journey has not been without setbacks. He finished fourth three times at the 2022 European Championships. Now, he adds another medal to his collection, alongside his silver at the 2024 World Championships, bronze at the 2023 World Championships, and two European Championship bronzes (2021, 2024) in the 200m backstroke.

+Switzerland wins its first medal at the Paris Olympics

Mityukov’s bronze means Swiss swimming can celebrate three Olympic medals in three years, following Jérémy Desplanches (200m medley) and Noè Ponti (100m butterfly), who won bronze in Tokyo. Previously, Swiss Aquatics had only one Olympic podium finish, courtesy of Etienne Dagon’s third place in the 200m breaststroke in 1984.

Final dace for desplanches

Jérémy Desplanches competed in his last 200m medley on Thursday evening, finishing 13th in Paris and failing to reach the semi-finals. Ninth in the morning heats, Desplanches, who will retire after these Games, lacked the energy for a final heroic effort. The 2018 European champion, who turns 30 on 7 August, completed the race in 1:58.93 minutes, over two seconds too slow for the top 8.

“A medal was my goal. I’m very proud of myself,” said a beaming Mityukov. Keystone / Patrick B. Kraemer

For Thierry Bollin, the 50m freestyle ended in the preliminary heats. The 24-year-old from Bern completed the sprint in under 23 seconds for the first time, with a time of 22.95, but needed to be over a second faster to reach the semi-finals.

Mityukov reflects

Reflecting on his achievement, Mityukov expressed immense satisfaction after his bronze in the Olympic pool. “A medal was my goal. I’m very proud of myself – I did it,” said the 24-year-old from Geneva. “It’s nice to see that the hard work and many kilometres swum have paid off. It was a long and difficult season, but it was worth it.”

Mityukov acknowledged the challenging days following his 100m heats exit but remained proud of his final performance. “In the last 50 metres, I thought about everything I’ve done this season, about my parents who were there, about everyone around me. I’m so proud that I fought to the end.”

+Swiss On shoes share the spotlight at Paris Olympics

Despite the pain and exhaustion, Mityukov’s determination saw him through. He admitted that he wouldn’t have coped well without winning a medal, fearing he might mess up with the adrenaline and tension. Now, with one relay left, he looks forward to a well-deserved celebration. “I can now enjoy and live a quiet life,” he said. “But after the 4×100 metre medley, I will definitely celebrate in style after holding back for a year.”

Translated from German by DeepL/amva

How we work

This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.

If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to [e-mail].