Filip Nowacki added European 200m breaststroke gold to his Commonwealth title last week [Reuters] Filip Nowacki says his European and Commonwealth Games gold medals prove he is at a world class level. The 18-year-old won the 200m breaststroke title at both events this month to secure his place as one of the world's best in the discipline. Jersey's Nowacki won world junior titles at 100m and 200m breaststroke last year before moving up to the senior ranks. "I haven't truly had time to reflect on the achievements that I've achieved in the last three weeks," he told BBC Jersey. "But I think it's a great a great stepping stone in the right direction leading into Worlds next year and leading into the Olympics. "I'm just really pleased to have backed up my performances from last year and almost let myself know, most importantly, that it wasn't a fluke last year and I'm going to be here for a while." Filip Nowacki beat Dutch swimmer Caspar Corbeau by 0.08 seconds to win the European title [Getty Images] GB teenager Nowacki wins dramatic European gold Olympic ambitions for Jersey gold medallist Nowacki How Jersey's Nowacki looks set to take Ramsay-Peaty's crown European gold medal 'very special' - Nowacki
Nowacki's step up to the senior ranks has been impressive - winning gold medals at his first two international meets. His victory at the Commonwealth Games was the first gold medal for a Jersey athlete since 1990, coming a few days after he finished ahead of Adam Ramsay-Peaty to win silver in the 100m. He backed those up at the European Championships, where he showed an impressive surge in the 200m final to move from sixth place to first in the second half of the race, beating Olympic bronze medallist Caspar Corbeau to first place. Nowacki feels he will get faster next year. "A big thing for swimmers is working on arena skills and how they manage themselves in the arena and then ultimately how they race the race," he said. "The 200 breaststroke has a lot of tactics involved, as does every other 200. "I was a touch outside my PB [personal best] at both the Commonwealth Games and then at Europeans and I think a big factor of that, if not the only factor of that, is just managing myself in the arena and almost tensing up a bit too much in the race. "I think going into next year I'm going to be working on staying relaxed in the race as much as I can to really target that PB down. "The skills that I've attained this year are so much greater than the ones I had last year, and I'd imagine if you sat me down next year again I'd probably say the same thing." Nowacki is targeting a place at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, but first hopes to make next year's World Championships in Hungary. "Europeans is just another step up from Commonwealths going into Worlds next year," he said. "I'd love to make another step up and hopefully challenge my PB again," he added. "It'd be great to gain some experience by racing other nations with the Japanese, Australians, Americans leading into the Olympics the following year."