Barna: "If I had done a little better in the first 25 meters…" VIDEO

Barna spoke to the “Jutro” morning show on Prva TV about his experience at the European Championships.

At first, he was not aware that he had broken both his personal and national records.

"I was very satisfied. I knew the final would be decisive and that it would be very close. I tried to correct the mistake I had made at previous competitions, especially in Singapore, where I swam my fastest race in the heats and my worst in the final. This time, I wanted to save more energy for the final. I swam much more comfortably in the heats and semifinals. I saved my maximum for the final. When I saw the fastest time in the final, I was extremely pleased," Barna told Prva TV, adding:

"It took me a little while to realize what had happened. The Russian and I finished with exactly the same time, down to the hundredth of a second. We shared second place. I looked at the big screen, but I couldn't see it clearly at first. It took me a few seconds to process it. I was really thrilled when I saw 21.37."

What could he have done better?

"The Ukrainian who won swam 21.1. I didn't think there was anything more I could have done at that moment to win the gold. If I had done the first 25 meters a little better. Last season, I was a tenth of a second faster at the 15-meter mark. We'll have to see what went wrong there, whether it was something with the start or the underwater phase. My reaction off the start is good, but I lose a little speed during the underwater section at those 15 meters. We'll see how we can shave off a few tenths for next season."

Barna faced serious health issues after being diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2019.

"Honestly, I didn't even know what was happening. They discovered it completely by chance. I was told that in Serbia the surgery was performed as an open procedure, which was quite risky, and I didn't know whether I would be able to return to sport. Fortunately, in the United States they performed the surgery using one of the most advanced methods. I managed to get back in the pool after three months and continue training as if nothing had happened. The recovery was more difficult because the surgery involved the abdominal muscles. Everything went well. I was already back in the pool by November or December. With the help of my family, friends and coaches, I managed to make a comeback and get everything back on track."

What's next?

"The next major competition will be the World Championships in Hungary. There will be a strong field in the 50-meter event, and I need to improve my time a little more if I want to hope for a medal," Barna concluded.