Maxime Grousset and Marrit Steenbergen are among the swimmers taking to the water as the pool programme begins at the European Championships in Paris.
Grousset is among a high-quality field in the men’s 50 fly while Steenbergen heads the 100 free field, weeks after setting a world record of 51.68 at the Sette Colli meet in Rome.
The prelims were scheduled to begin with Leon Marchand’s quest for a maiden European title in the 400IM but the four-time Olympic champion has dropped the IM events following injury and restricted his programme to the 200 fly and 400 free.
Men’s 400m Individual Medley
Marchand opened his programme at the national championships in Saint-Etienne at the end of June with a 4:04.56 400IM, the fifth-fastest performance in history and fourth among his own pantheon.
However, he felt a sharp pain in his right adductor muscle in the 200m breaststroke prelims which led to him withdrawing from the meet.
He was entered in four events – including the IM double – but restricted his programme to the 200 fly and 400 free after aggravating the injury.
However, the show must go on and the home crowd must wait until they see their hero who entered sporting immortality at La Defense Arena.
There were three prelims with the first three men home in the first seeded heat separated by just 0.24 led by Finn Hammer of Germany (4:13.45), Alberto Razzetti (4:13.54) and Max Litchfield (4:13.69). Robert-Andrei Badea was disqualified for using an alternating leg kick rather than a dolphin kick after finishing fourth in a time that would have seen him progress to the final. The Romanian – who turns 19 next month – won the title at two straight European junior championships in 2024/25.
Ilia Borodin took control on the breaststroke leg of the final prelim and pulled away to touch clear in 4:13.10, the only man to break 4:14 in his race.
Women’s 100m Freestyle
The French crowd gave a loud ovation to Marie Wattel before the first seeded heat, a cheer that grew in volume when she turned second before coming home third as Milou van Wijk touched first in 53.00.
Sara Curtis led the way in the penultimate heat in 53.76 ahead of Beryl Gastaldello (54.03).
Steenbergen went in the final heat and she dominated, coming home more than a body length ahead in 52.62, a new championship record 0.05 inside Sarah Sjostrom’s 52.67 mark that had stood since Berlin 2014.
Men’s 100m Butterfly
Maxime Grousset’s participation had also been in doubt after he fractured his foot during training. The world champion’s presence behind the starting blocks of the final prelim was greeted by a roar at the Olympic Aquatic Centre that grew in volume and duration.
He’d seen Noè Ponti go 22.69 after Egor Kornev had posted 22.70. Grousset though looked superb and controlled, speeding into the wall in 22.49. That was 0.01 off his own French record and Andrii Govorov’s CR of 22.48 that has stood since Glasgow 2018.
Women’s 200m Backstroke
Neutral Athlete Anastasiya Shkurdai was the only woman with an entry time inside 2:08 in the field of 29 women.
Katie Shanahan won silver at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and she led the way as the only woman inside 2:10 in 2:09.29.
Men’s 100m Breaststroke
Adam Ramsay-Peaty has found himself in the spotlight in the last fortnight after a tearful mixed zone interview following his bronze at the Commonwealth Games.
The double Olympic champion went in the final heat in Paris after Paris 2024 gold medallist Nicolo Martinenghi had posted 59.11 to lead the rankings.
The Briton had to play catch-up after he emerged from his start well short but he looked good through the water and turned in second, although he again lost time there. A 31.49 second 50 guided him into the wall in top spot as he posted 59.08, the fastest of the field and swifter than the 59.17 in which Sam Williamson won the Commonwealth title.
Martinenghi and fellow Italian Simone Cerasuolo each progressed in 59.11 ahead of Ireland’s Jack Kelly (59.27), Melvin Imoudu (59.31) and Kirill Prigoda (59.38).
Filip Nowacki – who won silver ahead of Ramsay-Peaty in Glasgow – was the second Briton through in 59.39.
