(L-R) João Carneiro; Rémi Fabiani; Ralph Daleiden Ciuferri; Julien Henx; Credit: FLNS

From 27 July to 3 August 2025, Luxembourg’s national swimming team competed at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, where it set three new national records.

The best individual result came from Ralph Daleiden, who placed 25th in the Men’s 200m Freestyle with a time of 1:47.74, setting a new national record. He also finished 33rd in the 100m Freestyle (49.08). Notably, Daleiden broke another national record in the 100m Freestyle with a time of 48.60 in the relay lead-off leg, although this swim was not part of the individual ranking.

In an interview with Chronicle.lu, FLNS National Technical Director and Federal Coach Christophe Audot described Daleiden’s performance as “perfect” from a national perspective: “We can start with Ralph Daleiden Ciuferri - two national records, individual events, it’s perfect. He proved that it can be fast when it’s a good moment. The 100 freestyle in 48.60 was good, and of course the 200 freestyle was the best race for the Luxembourg team.” He added that Daleiden’s time in the 200m Freestyle shows strong potential for future success: “It means that he can swim 1:46 next season. I think he could be a semi-finalist or even a finalist at the European Championships next year and why not in 2027 at the World Championships.”

João Carneiro achieved a 40th-place finish in the 50m Freestyle (22.42) and 47th in the 50m Backstroke (26.02). He also competed in the 100m Backstroke, where he placed 4th in his heat with a time of 56.39, finishing 44th overall. According to Audot, Carneiro, despite a challenging season, managed to deliver a season-best performance in Singapore, which he considered a positive outcome.

Julien Henx competed in the butterfly events, placing 42nd in the 50m Butterfly (24.12) and 55th in the 100m Butterfly (55.57). While acknowledging Henx’s veteran status, Audot praised his contribution to the team: “Julien, of course, he’s a little bit older, but he did an amazing 100 butterfly in the relay.”

Rémi Fabiani, who specialised in breaststroke, ranked 53rd in the 50m Breaststroke (28.57) and 44th in the 100m Breaststroke (1:02.38). Audot noted that Fabiani also delivered a season-best time despite a difficult lead-up to the championships.

Reflecting on the campaign overall, Audot expressed satisfaction with both performance and team spirit: “I was very, very happy to finish with the national record in the 4x100 freestyle relay, with very good performances from each swimmer. The last three weeks were absolutely great with this team, and the team’s spirit was very positive and enthusiastic.”

Looking ahead, Christophe Audot outlined the team’s priorities for the coming season, with a clear focus on the 2026 European Championships in Paris. He explained that this continental competition is better suited to the current level of Luxembourg’s swimmers: “The European Championships in Paris are a key goal, because this continental event is a little bit more interesting for the level of the Luxembourg swimmers. I think we’ll have more opportunities to swim in semi-finals and maybe finals.” He added that the team hopes to increase the number of participants and see more athletes progressing to the evening sessions, where medals and top rankings are decided.