Thomas Ceccon debuts wild look on TikTok ahead of European swimming championships

Italian Olympic champion swimmer Thomas Ceccon posted a TikTok video after six months without shaving his beard or cutting his hair, presenting a deliberately unfiltered appearance. In the clip he calls himself “the only real” and urges viewers to “be bold and ignore what others think.” The video quickly went viral, sparking both humorous comparisons and serious commentary on his authenticity.

Ceccon will compete at the European Swimming Championships in Paris from 10 to 16 August. He is entered in five individual events – 50 m, 100 m and 200 m backstroke, plus 50 m and 100 m butterfly – and will also join Italy’s relay squads. He said he will decide which races to swim on the day, with a particular focus on the 100 m backstroke, the event in which he won Olympic gold in Paris 2024. Ceccon joins a 48‑strong Italian team heading to the French capital.

The swimmer’s unconventional social‑media stunt comes just days before his first race, the men’s 50 m butterfly on 10 August, followed by the 200 m backstroke and mixed relay on 11 August.