Wrapped in a black hood, Tomas Lukmins emerged from it and reappeared among the elite of the fastest European swimmers.
Supported by his parents who came to Poland from the stands of the 25-meter swimming pool in Lublin, the young Lithuanian swimmer took fourth place in the prestigious 100 m freestyle distance, repeating the Lithuanian record achieved a day and a half ago in the final – 45.87 seconds.
Accelerating in the second part of the distance, the 21-year-old from Panevėžys chased the leaders and almost jumped onto the podium.
Frenchman Maxime Grousset won gold (45.17 seconds), silver – Jere Hribar (45.64 seconds) and bronze – British Matthew Richards (45.82 seconds).
“I’m very happy, although when I saw that I was so far short of third place, I felt a little sad,” T. Lukmin said after getting out of the pool, trying to show with his fingers how little he was short of the bronze medal. “But everything is fine. I’m very satisfied with this competition, I wouldn’t want anything else.”
LTU Aquatics/Darius Kibirkštis photo/Tomas Lukminas
The fourth place in the European Championship is the highest achievement for a young man from Panevėžys, who later rose to prominence in swimming, and who is studying in the second year at the University of Arizona in the USA.
Therefore, in the interview after the final, there was more joy than disappointment in T. Lukmin’s words and face.
– Tom, you swam with an identical result to the Lithuanian record. How did this happen?
– So this result is the best I can do at the moment. It is as it is. It was not possible to improve it now, maybe that record will stand for two weeks until the Lithuanian championship (smiles, – ed.)
– How did you feel at the distance where you were eighth at the halfway point, but you finished powerfully?
– I felt good. My second half of the distance is always stronger than the first. But otherwise everything is fine. We will see what the coach has to say.
– Have you seen the competitors?
– I was just driving with gritted teeth. I tried to drive as fast as possible to touch the wall, but I was a little short. However, the fourth place is also good, I am very happy.
LTU Aquatics/Darius Kibirkštis photo/Tomas Lukminas
– Did you manage to rest in the morning?
– Everything is fine. It would be interesting how it would have been if I had participated in the 50m free selection, but we talked with the coaches that it might be better to save for the final.
I would say that I managed to handle the tension quite well. Of course, I really, really wanted to do well. It worked. I don’t see a problem that I didn’t take third place, no matter how close I was.
– With which coach will you discuss swimming first – the Lithuanian national team or the American?
– With all four. So many coaches and everyone wants to help. The more the better. You can also give a fifth (smiles, ed.).
– Do you count how many breaths you take during the distance?
– I can’t imagine, but a lot. I like to breathe. Only in the last 25 meters I put my head down and work.
– You rise like a swimmer. What potential do you dream of?
– I don’t know, it’s a difficult question. I can’t predict too far in advance, so I try to work, and if it works out, it will work out.
LTU Aquatics/Darius Kibirkštis photo/Tomas Lukminas
– What will be the next plans?
– I will return to the USA at the end of December, I will train there for a couple of months, there will be a local competition. And the most important start of 2026 is the European Championship in the 50-meter pool in Paris in the summer. That will be the main goal for me.
Where and how did Tomas Lukmins emerge?
These are the clearest swimming preferences for the 21-year-old from Panevėžys, who has been waiting a long time for his hour to strike.
He started his journey in Panevėžys, where several other members of the Lithuanian swimming team come from (Danas Rapšys, Andrius Šidlauskas, Kristupas Trepočka, as well as Tomas Navikonis, who did not compete in this championship).
The strong coaches Židrūnė Budrienė, Ina Paipelienė and Mintara Labanauskienė trained the talented but later maturing young man at different stages.
Although from a young age T.Lukmins was distinguished by very easy and graceful swimming, freestyle crossing the surface of the water, he did not win titles in international youth competitions, unlike some of the current talents of the national team (Tajus Juška, Smiltė Plytnykaitė, Mantas Kaušpėdas).
Until this fall, T.Lukminas was famous as a strong member of the relay team, who contributed to the gold won by Lithuanians in freestyle swimming at last year’s European Championship and seventh place at this year’s World Championship.
The lanky swimmer has made significant progress over the past two years, experts say, thanks to a rigorous training program at the University of Arizona, where Tom is in his second year studying business management.
Although Ben Loorzas, who coaches the Lithuanian there, is not a widely known swimming specialist, T.Lukminas, who is prepared according to his program, shot ahead, having won the bronze of the World Cup stage in the USA a month ago – his first significant personal medal.
In recent weeks, under the supervision of Lithuanian coaches – Pauliaus Povilonis, who stayed at home due to family matters, and three other coaches helping him in Lublin, T. Lukminas started the European Championship powerfully.
LTU Aquatics/Darius Kibirkštis photo/Tomas Lukminas
In the 200 m freestyle event, he showed the best results among competitive compatriots in the selection, then in the semi-finals, and in the final he shared the sixth place with the titleholder Dans Rapšius, unexpectedly recording an identical result in the final.
“This year he is doing everything well. What he is swimming is either personal records or he is leading our team in relays. I would say that this year is Tomo’s. If we had to hold the Lithuanian swimming awards, then this year is definitely Tomo’s,” said D. Rapšys, who for many years was a role model to whom T. Lukmins competed.
These words of D. Rapšis sounded even before the 100 m freestyle race, in the selection of which T. Lukminas simply stunned everyone, taking the first place among the 77 swimmers who started in the prestigious event in the morning competition, swimming in 45.87 seconds. and 0.22 sec. bettering the Lithuanian record held by Tomas Navikonis.
LTU Aquatics/Darius Kibirkštis photo/Tomas Lukminas
In the semi-final, T. Lukminas was fifth (46.12 seconds), and the next day he received compliments from another native.
“Lukmins achieved a Lithuanian record, coming out of 46 seconds – I would think that this achievement in such a prestigious event as the 100 m crawl (freestyle) is something “wow” for Lithuania”, emphasized A. Šidlauskas, an experienced swimmer, who was happy with the bronze won by Kotryna Teterevkova and T. Lukmin’s record speed.
