Apostolos Christou wins gold in 50m backstroke at Rome's Sette Colli meet

Greek swimmer Apostolos Christou captured gold in the 50 m backstroke at the international Sette Colli meeting in Rome, posting a time of 24.40 seconds. The performance ranks as the third‑best of his career, just behind the national record (24.36) and his previous best (24.39), and secures a qualification mark for the 2027 World Championships.

Christou achieved the result after a recent health issue forced him to miss the Greek National Championships. His victory was part of a strong showing by the Greek delegation: Anna Ntountounaki finished sixth in the 50 m backstroke and tenth overall in the 50 m butterfly, Basileios Kakoulakis set a personal record in the 400 m freestyle, and Stergios Bilas placed 13th in the 50 m freestyle.

The meet, held in Rome, Italy, served as a key preparatory event ahead of the upcoming European Championships in Paris.