# Swimming at the 2012 European Aquatics Championships – Women's 50 metre breaststroke

The women's 50 metre breaststroke competition of the swimming events at the 2012 European Aquatics Championships took place May 26 and 27. The heats and semifinals took place on May 26, the final on May 27.

## Records

Prior to the competition, the existing world, European and championship records were as follows.
| | Name | Nation | Time | Location | Date |
| World record | Jessica Hardy | United States | 29.80 | Federal Way | August 7, 2009 |
| European record | Yuliya Efimova | Russia | 30.09 | Rome | August 2, 2009 |
| Championship record | Yuliya Efimova | Russia | 30.29 | Budapest | August 15, 2010 |

## Results
### Heats

35 swimmers participated in 5 heats.
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | Petra Chocová | Czech Republic | 31.38 | Q, NR |
| 2 | 4 | 4 | Caroline Ruhnau | Germany | 31.44 | Q |
| 3 | 5 | 5 | Sycerika McMahon | Ireland | 31.65 | Q |
| 4 | 5 | 3 | Valentina Artemyeva | Russia | 31.83 | Q |
| 5 | 4 | 8 | Hrafnhildur Lúthersdóttir | Iceland | 31.85 | Q, NR |
| 6 | 4 | 3 | Martina Moravciková | Czech Republic | 31.95 | Q |
| 7 | 3 | 5 | Concepcion Badillo Diaz | Spain | 32.01 | Q |
| 8 | 2 | 5 | Erla Dogg Haraldsdóttir | Iceland | 32.18 | Q |
| 9 | 5 | 6 | Ivana Ninković | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 32.19 | Q, NR |
| 10 | 5 | 7 | Chiara Boggiatto | Italy | 32.19 | Q |
| 11 | 3 | 7 | Jenna Laukkanen | Finland | 32.20 | Q |
| 12 | 3 | 1 | Mariya Liver | Ukraine | 32.27 | Q |
| 13 | 3 | 3 | Katharina Stiberg | Norway | 32.29 | Q |
| 14 | 3 | 6 | Vanessa Grimberg | Germany | 32.29 | Q |
| 15 | 4 | 2 | Anastasia Christoforou | Cyprus | 32.45 | Q |
| 16 | 3 | 2 | Ana Pinho Rodrigues | Portugal | 32.49 | Q |
| 17 | 4 | 7 | Ewa Scieszko | Poland | 32.55 | |
| 18 | 5 | 2 | Anna Sztankovics | Hungary | 32.56 | |
| 19 | 4 | 6 | Tjasa Vozel | Slovenia | 32.59 | |
| 20 | 4 | 5 | Lisa Fissneider | Italy | 32.70 | |
| 21 | 5 | 1 | Dilara Buse Günaydin | Turkey | 32.78 | |
| 22 | 5 | 8 | Zuzana Mimovicová | Slovakia | 32.81 | |
| 23 | 3 | 8 | Ceren Dilek | Turkey | 33.08 | |
| 24 | 2 | 8 | Maria Georgia Michalaka | Greece | 33.14 | |
| 25 | 2 | 4 | Evelina Aizpuriete | Latvia | 33.11 | |
| 26 | 2 | 3 | Tatiana Chisca | Moldova | 33.18 | |
| 27 | 1 | 4 | Raminta Dvariškytė | Lithuania | 33.24 | |
| 28 | 4 | 1 | Fiona Doyle | Ireland | 33.46 | |
| 29 | 1 | 3 | Maria Harutjunjan | Estonia | 33.55 | |
| 30 | 2 | 2 | Irina Novikova | Russia | 33.57 | |
| 31 | 2 | 7 | Vangelina Draganova | Bulgaria | 33.72 | |
| 32 | 1 | 5 | Anastasiya Malyavina | Ukraine | 33.87 | |
| 33 | 2 | 6 | Evghenia Tanasienco | Moldova | 34.71 | |
| 34 | 2 | 1 | Helena Pikhartová | Czech Republic | 35.24 | |
| | 5 | 4 | Dorothea Brandt | Germany | DNS | |

### Semifinals

The eight fastest swimmers advanced to the final.

#### Semifinal 1

| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 5 | Valentina Artemyeva | Russia | 31.52 | Q |
| 2 | 4 | Caroline Ruhnau | Germany | 31.59 | Q |
| 3 | 3 | Martina Moravciková | Czech Republic | 31.96 | |
| 3 | 7 | Mariya Liver | Ukraine | 31.96 | |
| 5 | 8 | Ana Pinho Rodrigues | Portugal | 31.98 | |
| 6 | 6 | Erla Dogg Haraldsdóttir | Iceland | 32.27 | |
| 7 | 1 | Vanessa Grimberg | Germany | 32.41 | |
| 8 | 2 | Chiara Boggiatto | Italy | 32.60 | |

#### Semifinal 2

| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 4 | Petra Chocová | Czech Republic | 31.44 | Q |
| 2 | 5 | Sycerika McMahon | Ireland | 31.51 | Q |
| 3 | 6 | Concepcion Badillo Diaz | Spain | 31.66 | Q |
| 4 | 1 | Katharina Stiberg | Norway | 31.84 | Q |
| 5 | 3 | Hrafnhildur Lúthersdóttir | Iceland | 31.95 | Q |
| 6 | 8 | Anastasia Christoforou | Cyprus | 31.98 | |
| 7 | 2 | Ivana Ninković | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 32.26 | |
| 8 | 7 | Jenna Laukkanen | Finland | 32.26 | |

#### Swim-off

A swim-off was needed to determine the last participant in the final.
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 4 | Martina Moravciková | Czech Republic | 31.70 | Q |
| 2 | 5 | Mariya Liver | Ukraine | 32.04 | |

### Final

The final was held at 17:09.
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| | 4 | Petra Chocová | Czech Republic | 31.25 | NR |
| | 5 | Sycerika McMahon | Ireland | 31.27 | NR |
| | 6 | Caroline Ruhnau | Germany | 31.35 | |
| 4 | 2 | Concepcion Badillo Diaz | Spain | 31.69 | |
| 5 | 3 | Valentina Artemyeva | Russia | 31.70 | |
| 6 | 7 | Katharina Stiberg | Norway | 31.95 | |
| 7 | 8 | Martina Moravciková | Czech Republic | 32.05 | |
| 8 | 1 | Hrafnhildur Lúthersdóttir | Iceland | 32.25 | |