2026 European Championships: Day 1 Prelims Reside Recap

2026 European Swimming Championships

DAY 1 PRELIMS START LIST

Buongiorno!

Bonjour!

Guten Morgen!

While it’s nonetheless darkish within the United States, right here in Europe we’re prepared for the primary race of the 2026 European Swimming Championships!

The final time this meet was held was within the lead-up to the Paris Olympics two years in the past and lots of swimmers stayed away, the time earlier than was one month after the 2022 World Championships, and the time earlier than that was within the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Therefore, that is the primary time in eight years that the European Championships is the principle focus meet for almost all of athletes right here. We ought to have some enthralling racing in retailer with a number of World champions within the subject.

The very first occasion, nevertheless, is not going to characteristic the reigning world champion. Leon Marchand introduced on Saturday that he was withdrawing from each IM occasions as he recovers from a hip adductor harm, having swum the fifth-fastest time in historical past on the French Elite Championships two months in the past. Ilia Borodin, who gained these Championships in 2021, is the favourite in his absence however must cope with Max Litchfield, Alberto Razzetti, and teammate Maxim Stupin.

World document holder Marrit Steenbergen is chasing her second European title within the girls’s 100 free, to match the 2 world titles she owns, and leads the sphere by a second forward of Sara Curtis. Steenbergen’s teammate Milou van Wijk and Daria Klepikova are returning World Championship finalists, whereas defending champion Barbara Seemanova can be swimming this morning.

All three medalists from the 2025 World Championships are in motion within the males’s 50 fly, with this being Maxime Grousset‘s first swim since getting back from a foot harm that saved him out of the French Elite Championships. There are 12 males entered underneath 23 seconds, and with swimmers like Noe Ponti, Thomas Ceccon, and Egor Kornev in motion this needs to be a quick one.

There are simply three heats of the ladies’s 200 backstroke, with defending champion Camila Rebelo and 2026 Commonwealth Games silver medalist Katie Shanahan two of the title contenders. More than half the sphere will transfer by means of to the semi-finals tonight, so these heats should not as fraught with hazard as they’re in another occasions.

Those different occasions embrace the lads’s 100 breaststroke, the place 20 males are entered underneath 1:00 together with four-time champion Adam Ramsay-Peaty. He has by no means been overwhelmed on this occasion on the European stage, however is simply the #7 seed this 12 months as Kirill Prigoda and Nicolo Martinenghi prepared the ground.

We then have our first relays of the meet. Great Britain are the favorites in each the lads’s and girls’s 4×200 free relays however must navigate the heats this morning, with the lads particularly having not less than two doable swimmers for every leg. Germany and Italy appear to be the very best of the remainder, whereas Spain could possibly be the shock package deal.

Finally, we’ve the heats of the ladies’s 800 free. Simona Quadarella and Isabel Gose are the category of the sphere, with the Italian coming off setting a European document of 8:12.81 on the World Championships final summer season.

Without additional ado – let the Games start!

Men’s 400 IM – Prelims

Top 8:

1. Ilia Borodin, NAB — 4:13.10
2. Finn Hammer, Germany — 4:13.45
3. Alberto Razzetti, Italy — 4:13.54
4. Max Litchfield, Great Britain — 4:13.69
5. Cedric Bussing, Germany — 4:14.59
6. Apostolos Papastamos, Greece — 4:14.79
7. Thomas Jansen, Netherlands — 4:15.38
8. Panagiotis Vlachogiannakos, Greece — 4:16.06

The males’s 400 IM is lacking world document holder Leon Marchand, who’s racing a restricted schedule right here in Paris after withdrawing from each IM occasions.

Ireland’s Liam Custer wins the opening warmth in 4:22.55, setting the primary customary of the morning. His swim can be the primary nationwide document of the session, reducing Jack Cassin’s earlier Irish mark of 4:22.57 from 2023.

Women’s 100 Freestyle – Prelims

Top 16:

1. Marrit Steenbergen, Netherlands — 52.62 Championship Record
2. Milou van Wijk, Netherlands — 53.00
3. Daria Klepikova, NAB — 53.66
4. Sara Curtis, Italy — 53.76
5. Barbora Seemanova, Czech Republic — 53.77
6. Barbora Janickova, Czech Republic — 53.83
7. Marie Wattel, France — 53.98
8. Beryl Gastaldello, France — 54.03
9. Maria Daza Garcia, Spain — 54.11
10. Aleksandra Kuznetsova, NAB — 54.31
11. Evelyn Davis, Great Britain — 54.38
12. Sofia Astedt, Sweden — 54.43
13. Emma Virginia Menicucci, Italy — 54.45
14. Nina Jane Holt, Germany — 54.48
15. Florine Gaspard, Belgium — 54.54
16. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) Kalia Antoniou (CYP)   54.63 swim-off

The girls’s 100 free is among the most anticipated occasions of the whole program, with newly topped world document holder Marrit Steenbergen on the blocks.

Men’s 50 Butterfly – Prelims

Top 16:

1. Maxime Grousset, FRA — 22.49
2. Noe Ponti, SUI — 22.69
3. Egor Kornev, NAB — 22.70
4. Stergios Marios Bilas, GRE — 22.93
5. Kristof Milak, HUN — 22.96
6. Grigori Pekarski, NAA — 22.97
7. Diogo Matos Ribeiro, POR — 23.04
8. Sean Niewold, NED — 23.09
9. Thomas Ceccon, ITA — 23.10
10. Luca Nik Armbruster, GER — 23.12
11. Egor Iurchenko, NAB — 23.16
12. Lorenzo Gargani, ITA — 23.18
13. Vlad Stefan Mihalache, ROU — 23.23
14. Ralf Tribuntsov, EST — 23.24
15. Daniel Zaitsev, EST — 23.29
16. Nikita Baez, FRA — 23.31

The males’s 50 fly additionally brings collectively Olympic and world champions. Most of the motion will come within the remaining heats, that includes Noe Ponti, Maxime Grousset, Thomas Ceccon, and Egor Kornev.

Kristof Milak and Egor Kornev meet in warmth 6, with Kornev attending to the wall first. He breaks 23 seconds with a 22.70, adopted by Milak in 22.96.

Noe Ponti, the Olympic bronze medalist within the 100 fly at Tokyo 2021, solutions Egor Kornev’s 22.70 with a 22.69 within the following warmth, setting his season finest

Maxime Grousset makes an announcement within the remaining warmth, clocking a world-leading 22.49. The Frenchman qualifies first general, simply .01 exterior Andrii Govorov’s championship document of twenty-two.48.

Women’s 200 Backstroke – Prelims

Top 16:

1. Katie Shanahan, GBR — 2:09.29
2. Lise Seidel, GER — 2:10.02
3. Estella Tonrath Nollgen, ESP — 2:10.22
4. Pauline Mahieu, FRA — 2:10.62
5. Camila Rodrigues Rebelo, POR — 2:10.67
6. Eszter Szabo-Feltothy, HUN — 2:10.74
7. Anastasiya Shkurdai, NAA — 2:10.97
8. Jeanne Lechevalier, FRA — 2:11.30
9. Gabriela Georgieva, BUL — 2:11.48
10. Aviv Barzelay, ISR — 2:11.55
11. Federica Toma, ITA — 2:11.58
12. Fanni Viktoria Kokas, HUN — 2:12.16
13. Adela Piskorska, POL — 2:12.32
14. Tom Mienis, ISR — 2:12.40
15. Lottie Cullen, IRL — 2:12.84
16. Alessia Bianchi, ITA — 2:13.56

Katie Shanahan set the tempo from the opening warmth of the ladies’s 200 again. The British swimmer was stage with Pauline Mahieu on the first flip earlier than shifting forward on the second 50. She prolonged her lead by means of the second half and touched in 2:09.29, the one swimmer underneath 2:10 this morning.

Heat 2 produced an in depth race between Estella Tonrath Nollgen and Lise Seidel. Tonrath held a slim lead by means of the opening 100, handing over 1:03.63, simply .02 forward of Seidel. The German moved in entrance on the third 50 and gained the warmth in 2:10.02, with Tonrath following in 2:10.22. They certified second and third general.

Camila Rodrigues Rebelo gained the ultimate warmth in 2:10.67. Top seed Anastasiya Shkurdai was seventh general in 2:10.97, whereas Gabriela Georgieva led that warmth by means of 150 meters earlier than fading to 2:11.48.

France positioned three swimmers among the many prime 12, however Bertille Cousson is excluded underneath the two-per-nation rule. Pauline Mahieu and 16-year-old Jeanne Lechevalier advance, whereas Cousson’s exclusion strikes Italy’s Alessia Bianchi into the semifinals. Federica Toma additionally advances for Italy in eleventh place.

Bertille Cousson, FRA — 2:11.94, excluded by the two-per-nation rule.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Prelims

Top 16:

1. Adam Ramsay-Peaty, GBR — 59.08
2. Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA — 59.11
3. Simone Cerasuolo, ITA — 59.11
4. Jack Kelly, IRL — 59.27
5. Melvin Imoudu, GER — 59.31
6. Kirill Prigoda, NAB — 59.38
7. Filip Nowacki, GBR — 59.39
8. Caspar Corbeau, NED — 59.45
9. Ivan Kozhakin, NAB — 59.52
10. Lucas Matzerath, GER — 59.59
11. Aleksas Savickas, LTU — 59.82
12. Ilya Shymanovich, NAA — 59.86
13. Carl Aitkaci, FRA — 59.94
14. Evangelos Efraim Ntoumas, GRE — 1:00.09
15. Jan Kalusowski, POL — 1:00.10
16. Charlie Egeland, NOR — 1:00.13

The males’s 100 breast options eight heats, with a number of shut matchups within the remaining races. Paris Olympic champion Nicolo Martinenghi and Adam Ramsay-Peaty, who shared silver with Nic Fink at these Games, are among the many fundamental names within the subject.

In warmth 7, Martinenghi races alongside Italian teammate Ludovico Blu Art Viberti and Caspar Corbeau. Corbeau leads on the flip in 27.64, with Martinenghi shut behind in 27.86. The Italian strikes by means of the sphere on the second 50 and wins the warmth in 59.11, closing in 31.25. Corbeau takes second in 59.45, whereas Viberti finishes in 59.75.

The remaining warmth brings collectively Ramsay-Peaty, Simone Cerasuolo and Kirill Prigoda. Prigoda has the quickest opening break up of the whole subject, handing over 27.17, whereas Cerasuolo reaches midway in 27.60 and Ramsay-Peaty in 27.59.

Ramsay-Peaty produces the strongest closing 50 of the warmth, coming residence in 31.49 to the touch first in 59.08. Cerasuolo follows in 59.11, matching Martinenghi’s time precisely, whereas Prigoda fades to sixth general in 59.38.

Ramsay-Peaty advances with the quickest time of the morning, simply .03 forward of the 2 Italians. Martinenghi and Cerasuolo declare Italy’s two semifinal locations, leaving Viberti out regardless of ending eleventh general.

The two-per-nation rule additionally eliminates Great Britain’s Gregory Butler, who ranks seventeenth behind Ramsay-Peaty and Filip Nowacki, and Germany’s Subair Biltaev, with Jack Kelly, Melvin Imoudu, Ivan Kozhakin and Lucas Matzerathamong the many different swimmers advancing comfortably.

Excluded by the two-per-nation rule:

Women’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay – Prelims

• World Record: 7:37.50 – Australia, 2023
• European Record: 7:45.51 – Great Britain, 2009
• European Championship Record: 7:50.53 – Italy, 2014
• European Junior Record: 7:57.33– Russia, 2017
• 2024 European Champion – Israel – 7:51.83

Top 8:

1. Neutral Athletes B, NAB — 7:54.17
2. Germany, GER — 7:54.57
3. Hungary, HUN — 7:56.75
4. Italy, ITA — 7:57.57
5. Great Britain, GBR — 7:58.84
6. Spain, ESP — 7:59.14
7. Poland, POL — 8:00.32
8. Portugal, POR — 8:01.21

Neutral Athletes  set the tempo from the opening warmth of the ladies’s 4×200 free relay. Kseniia Misharina opened in 1:57.84 earlier than Sofia Diakova, Dariia Surushkina and Milana Stepanova accomplished the race in 7:54.17.

Germany got here near taking the highest seed within the second warmth. Maya Tobehen led off in 1:58.58, and Linda Roth moved the group forward of the sphere with a 1:57.62 break up. Nina Jane Holt adopted in 1:58.63 earlier than Nicole Maier anchored in 1:59.74. Germany gained the warmth in 7:54.57, simply .40 behind the morning’s quickest time.

Hungary certified third in 7:56.75. Panna Ugrai opened in 1:58.66, whereas Nikolett Padar introduced the group residence with a 1:58.70 anchor.

Italy completed fourth general in 7:57.57. Anna Chiara Mascolo led off in 1:59.37 earlier than Matilde Biagiotti and Bianca Nannucci moved the group up with splits of 1:58.53 and 1:58.78. Alessandra Mao anchored in 2:00.89.

Italy raced with out Simona Quadarella, who will compete within the girls’s 800 free heats later within the session. It stays to be seen whether or not Quadarella will probably be added for tonight’s remaining or if Italy will maintain the identical lineup.

Great Britain certified fifth in 7:58.84, helped by Abbie Wood’s 1:57.76 second leg. Spain adopted in 7:59.14, with Irene Ciercoles Galve posting a 1:58.66 break up. Poland and Portugal took the ultimate two locations within the remaining, whereas the Netherlands completed ninth in 8:01.67 and missed qualification by .46.

Men’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay – Prelims

• World Record: 6:58.55 – USA, 2009
• European Record: 6:58.58 – Great Britain, 2021
• European Championship Record: 7:03.48 – Russia, 2021
• European Junior Record: 7:09.16 – Neutral Athletes B, 2026
• 2024 European Champion – Lithuania – 7:08.04

Top 8:

1. Germany, GER — 7:04.83
2. Great Britain, GBR — 7:05.07
3. Lithuania, LTU — 7:05.93
4. Israel, ISR — 7:06.71
5. Neutral Athletes B, NAB — 7:07.72
6. Italy, ITA — 7:08.73
7. France, FRA — 7:09.33
8. Greece, GRE — 7:09.53

Germany set the quickest time of the lads’s 4×200 free relay heats, profitable the opening race in 7:04.83. Lukas Martensled off in 1:45.84 earlier than Timo Sorgius, Jarno Baschnitt and Cornelius Jahn accomplished a constant efficiency, with all 4 splits underneath 1:46.50.

Great Britain gained the second warmth and certified second general in 7:05.07, solely .24 behind Germany. Tyler Melbourne-Smith opened in 1:47.16, however Jack McMillan moved the group ahead with a 1:45.40 break up. Thomas Dean adopted in 1:45.69 earlier than Gabriel Shepherd anchored in 1:46.82.

Lithuania completed third in 7:05.93. After Tomas Lukminas led off in 1:47.46, Danas Rapsys break up 1:46.27 and Tomas Navikonis recorded the group’s quickest leg in 1:45.64. Kristupas Trepocka accomplished the relay in 1:46.56.

Israel certified fourth in 7:06.71, helped by Daniel Krichevsky’s 1:46.14 anchor. Neutral Athletes B adopted in 7:07.72, with Grigorii Vekovishchev producing a 1:45.51 second leg.

Italy reached the ultimate in sixth place with a time of seven:08.73. Filippo Megli opened in 1:47.53, adopted by Alessandro Ragaini in 1:48.01. Jacopo Barbotti moved Italy up with a 1:46.86 break up earlier than Marco De Tullio closed in 1:46.33, the quickest Italian leg of the morning.

France and Greece took the final two qualifying spots. Greece completed in 7:09.53, solely .20 behind France, whereas Sweden positioned ninth in 7:10.02 and missed the ultimate by .49.

Women’s 800 Freestyle – Prelims

Top 8:

1. Simona Quadarella, ITA — 8:23.17
2. Isabel Gose, GER — 8:26.01
3. Vivien Jackl, HUN — 8:28.87
4. Maya Werner, GER — 8:32.79
5. Thilda Hall, SWE — 8:33.12
6. Artemis Vasilaki, GRE — 8:33.76
7. Francisca Soares Martins, POR — 8:35.94
8. Maria de Valdes Alvarez, ESP — 8:36.76

Simona Quadarella of Italy led the ladies’s 800 free heats with a managed 8:23.17, securing lane 4 for tomorrow’s remaining.

The Italian took cost of the ultimate warmth and maintained a gradual tempo all through the race. She reached the midway level in 4:08.89 and closed with a 31.27 remaining 50 to put up the quickest time of the morning by virtually three seconds.

Quadarella enters the ultimate because the European document holder. She set the mark at 8:12.81 in the course of the 2025 World Championships in Singapore.

Isabel Gose gained the second warmth and certified second general in 8:26.01. The German has already gained two gold medals right here in Paris, taking the ladies’s 3km knockout title and serving to Germany win the combined 4×1500 free relay within the Seine.

Hungary’s Vivien Jackl, solely 17 years outdated, completed behind Quadarella within the remaining warmth and superior third in 8:28.87. She was the one different swimmer underneath 8:30.

Maya Werner certified fourth in 8:32.79, adopted by Sweden’s Thilda Hall in 8:33.12. Artemis Vasilaki of Greece took sixth in 8:33.76.

The remaining two locations went to Portugal’s Francisca Soares Martins and Spain’s Maria de Valdes Alvarez. Belgium’s Sarah Dumont completed ninth in 8:39.60, lacking the ultimate by 2.84 seconds.