2026 European Swimming Championship: Quotes And Reactions From Day 1

2026 EUROPEAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The opening evening of swimming on the 2026 European Aquatics Championships produced three Championship Records, a French relay medal in entrance of the house crowd and the primary podium finishes of the meet.

Leon Marchand returned to competitors as a part of France’s silver-medal efficiency within the males’s 4×200 freestyle relay, whereas Ilia Borodin, competing as a Neutral Athlete B, gained the lads’s 400 IM forward of Italy’s Alberto Razzetti and Great Britain’s Max Litchfield.

Great Britain swept the 2 4×200 freestyle relays, setting Championship Records in each occasions.

Below are the primary reactions from Day 1, with quotes supplied by European Aquatics and the Italian Swimming Federation. Quotes initially given to the Italian federation have been translated into English.

Marchand Returns As France Takes Relay Silver

Marchand withdrew from the 400 IM due to a lingering hip adductor damage however returned for the ultimate of the lads’s 4×200 freestyle relay.

Leading off for France, the four-time Paris 2024 Olympic champion cut up 1:43.76, the quickest leg of your entire remaining. France had certified seventh with out Marchand within the morning earlier than transferring as much as silver in a nationwide file of seven:02.23.

“I feel really good,” Marchand informed European Aquatics. “It felt like my debut, and it was explosive. I feel really sharp.”

Roman Fuchs moved France forward of Germany over the ultimate 50 meters, securing the host nation’s first medal of the swimming competitors. Germany took bronze in 7:02.28.

Great Britain gained in a Championship Record of seven:01.52. The British quartet included Matt Richards, Jack McMillan, James Guy and Duncan Scott.

“Any time we walk away from a championships with a gold, it is always a great result,” Richards mentioned. “It was a great performance from all the boys and a really solid swim. We can walk away with our heads high tonight.”

The victory was Great Britain’s first European title within the occasion since 2018.

“It’s the first time in a long time we’ve won the Europeans, with 2018 being the last, so to win it again is pretty good,”Scott mentioned. “We probably wanted a little more from ourselves, if I’m honest, but in championship finals it is about racing and getting the job done, which we did.”

McMillan highlighted the British sweep of the lads’s and ladies’s 4×200 freestyle relays.

“It’s great for Great Britain that the women also won,” McMillan mentioned. “For the men, we haven’t done this since 2018, so it’s great to put ourselves back in this position. Gold was the aim, which we achieved in front of a great crowd.”

Guy mentioned the 2 relay victories mirrored the depth of the British workforce, whilst a number of swimmers adjusted to competing at one other main meet shortly after the Commonwealth Games.

“Tonight was another good result for the women’s and men’s relays, which is a great start for the team,” Guy mentioned. “I think we wanted to go quicker individually, but most of us are still learning about doubling up after the Commonwealth Games and now the Europeans. This shows the strength we have.”

Italy completed fourth in 7:02.82, solely .54 behind Germany.

Nineteen-year-old Carlos D’Ambrosio led off in an Italian Record of 1:44.72, changing into the primary Italian swimmer to interrupt 1:45 within the 200 freestyle. He lowered his earlier nationwide file of 1:45.15, set whereas profitable the world junior title in 2025.

D’Ambrosio was adopted by Marco De Tullio in 1:46.35, Jacopo Barbotti in 1:45.89 and Filippo Megli in 1:45.86.

“I’m very happy with the relay because we are bringing it back to a very high level,” D’Ambrosio informed the Italian Swimming Federation. “Unfortunately, we finished fourth and that hurts a little, but we have no regrets. We were very good.”

“As for the Italian Record, I’m extremely happy. I thought I could swim around this time. I had planned to go out a little slower, but it worked out well.”

British Women Target Long-Standing National Record

Great Britain led the ladies’s 4×200 freestyle relay from begin to end, with Freya Anderson anchoring the workforce to a Championship Record of seven:45.93.

The swim positioned the British workforce inside vary of the European and British file, which has stood for the reason that full-body go well with period.

“We all knew a massive performance was coming,” lead-off swimmer Freya Colbert informed European Aquatics. “We know that the European Record and British Record were set by some massive names in our history, so we’ve had our eye on them for a while. To now be really close is very big for us.”

Abbie Wood described the outcome because the product of a number of years of labor.

“I think this is such a relief because it has been a really long time coming,” Wood mentioned. “We have all produced the performances individually, but on separate days. For us all to have a really good day at the same time is really hard, but that has been four years coming.”

Anderson closed the relay after going through a tough interval in current seasons.

“I’ve had a tough time over the last few years and at the Commonwealths too, so to put that performance down was amazing,” Anderson mentioned.

Hungary earned silver in 7:49.09, 4 hundredths forward of the Neutral Athletes B workforce.

Italy positioned fifth in 7:54.25 with Alessandra Mao, Simona Quadarella, Matilde Biagiotti and Bianca Nannucci.

“We are on the right path to developing this relay,” Quadarella informed the Italian Swimming Federation. “This is a very young national team, and I raise the average age a little. Tonight, I made myself available to the team. I had a lot of fun, and I’m happy with how it went for all of us.”

Borodin Regains 400 IM Title

Borodin gained the primary swimming remaining of the championships in 4:08.17, reducing the Championship Record of 4:09.59 set by Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh in 2008.

The 23-year-old regained the European title he first gained in 2021, his most up-to-date look on the meet.

“I feel great because I have done what I’ve done,” Borodin informed European Aquatics. “I’ve worked so hard for this, and finally it is back-to-back.”

“In the morning I felt I was too slow, but tonight, although it is not my personal best, I feel good about the result.”

Razzetti took silver in 4:10.40, including one other European medal after profitable the occasion in 2022 and ending second in 2021.

“I really hoped for this medal,” Razzetti informed the Italian Swimming Federation. “I knew it was within reach, just as I knew Ilia was the favorite.”

“I hoped I could stay closer to him, but overall, I’m happy. The important thing was to make the podium and open the Italian team’s championships in the best possible way.”

Razzetti, the Italian Record holder at 4:09.29, additionally pointed to the energy of the workforce competitors.

“We have a very strong national team, and I think we will battle until the end with Great Britain and Russia, whose return is a major factor.”

Litchfield earned bronze in 4:11.58.

“It’s really great,” Litchfield mentioned. “Starting the Europeans with the 400 IM is a little strange because it is usually at the other end of the meet, but it is really nice to start us off as a team with that medal.”

Ceccon Targets Italian Record In 50 Butterfly Final

Egor Kornev, competing as a Neutral Athlete B, led the lads’s 50 butterfly semifinals in a Championship Record of twenty-two.36.

Reigning world champion Maxime Grousset certified second in 22.49 in his first competitors since breaking a bone in his foot in early June. Noe Ponti adopted in 22.53, with Diogo Ribeiro fourth in 22.68.

Italy’s Thomas Ceccon tied Germany’s Luca Armbruster for fifth in 22.71, securing a spot within the remaining.

Ceccon’s time was simply .04 exterior the Italian Record of twenty-two.67 he established whereas profitable bronze on the 2025 World Championships.

“I knew it would take a 22.7 or 22.8 to make the final, and that is what happened,” Ceccon informed the Italian Swimming Federation. “It will be a world-class final because, apart from one American, I think all the best swimmers are here.”

Ceccon gained the European title 4 years in the past in 22.89.

“Four years ago, I won with this time; today, it gets you into the final,” Ceccon mentioned. “I’m happy with what I swam. Maybe I was missing something over the last part. If I put all the pieces together tomorrow, the Italian Record might happen. That is my goal.”

Curtis Advances Second In 100 Freestyle

World champion Marrit Steenbergen lowered the ladies’s 100 freestyle Championship Record for the second time on Day 1, transferring from 52.62 within the heats to 52.44 within the semifinals.

Italy’s Sara Curtis certified second in a personal-best 52.93, producing the second-fastest efficiency in Italian historical past behind her nationwide file of 52.69.

“I’m very happy,” Curtis informed the Italian Swimming Federation. “That was the time I wanted, and my goal was to start next to Marrit in the final.”

“I’m happy because my opening 50 was faster than at the Sette Colli and faster than this morning. Now I can’t wait for the final, to race and test myself.”

Curtis is making an attempt to grow to be the primary Italian lady to win a European medal within the 100 freestyle.

Martinenghi Leads 100 Breaststroke Qualifiers

Olympic champion Nicolo Martinenghi certified first for the lads’s 100 breaststroke remaining in 58.67.

Ireland’s Jack Kelly adopted in 58.90, whereas Adam Ramsay-Peaty gained the second semifinal in a season-best 58.94. They have been the one three swimmers below 59 seconds.

Martinenghi had been named captain of the Italian workforce the earlier night.

“Maybe it is the Paris air, or perhaps it is the summer air, that I like,” Martinenghi informed the Italian Swimming Federation. “It is strange because today I swam an extremely relaxed race. I was focused on what I could do and looked only at my own lane.”

“I was named captain last night, and it made me a little emotional. I told my teammates not to be afraid to take risks and that they owe nothing to anyone except themselves.”

“Everyone who is here has earned it. When we are at the pool, we have to switch off our brains and remember to enjoy ourselves.”

Italy can have two swimmers within the remaining after Simone Cerasuolo certified eighth in 59.29.

“I tried to push the opening part a little, and then I tightened up,” Cerasuolo mentioned. “It was still enough to reach the final. Obviously, I will need to adjust a few things tomorrow.”

Quotes have been supplied by European Aquatics and the Italian Swimming Federation following Day 1 of the 2026 European Aquatics Championships.