User:Mpjmcevoybeta/sandbox/EU23 Championships

The European Under 23 Swimming Championships (50 m) is an annual swimming competition for European swimmers organized by the Ligue Européenne de Natation and held over three days. The competitor age range is from 19 to 23, and the event is designed to be a development event to aid the transition from junior to senior competition. The inaugural edition in 2023 was awarded to Dublin, Ireland.

Format
Competition in the Under-23 championships will be held across three days, much shorter than a traditional continental championships which usually last a week. A special Skins event will be held for freestyle sprinters, as the event proved popular in the International Swimming League. Certain standard relays will not be held.

In addition to European nations, the Under 23 Championship rules allow non-European guest nations to be invited to increase competitiveness, at a maximum of one per continent. These nations will be able to win 'commemorative' medals reflecting their position in the physical race, while the top three European swimmers will receive the championship gold, silver and bronze. As such, some events will award two golds or two silvers, one for a guest who finished second in a final, and one for the second placed European swimmer. In the first edition, United States and South Africa accepted invitations to the championships.