European Championships, Day Seven Prelims: Johannes Liebmann Returns For Final Heats Session
- Results
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- Day 1 prelims report
- Day 1 finals report
- Day 2 prelims report
- Day 2 finals report
- Day 3 prelims report
- Day 3 finals report
- Day 4 prelims report
- Day 4 finals report
- Day 5 prelims report
- Day 5 finals report
- Day 6 prelims report
- Day 6 finals report
The final prelims session of the European Championships are upon us at the Olympic Aquatic Centre in Paris.
Johannes Liebmann returns in the 400 the morning after shattering the 1500 free world record. Olympic and world champion Lukas Märtens – one of the same Magdeburg training stable – is among the men who await as is Leon Marchand, who won his maiden European title in the 200 fly on Saturday. So too will the two-per-nation rule come into play as four Germans – Märtens, Liebmann, Sven Schwarz and Oliver Klemet – into two places doesn’t go.
Simona Quadarella sets out on the third part of her treble quest in the 400 following 800 and 1500 gold.
The respective men’s and women’s medley relays will also be contested and there’ll also be a swim-off between Kotryna Teterevkova and Ralina Giliazova in the 50m breaststroke.
Women’s 400 Free
German women occupied three of the top five slots led by Maya Werner (4:05.40) ahead of 2022 champion Isabel Gose (4:06.37). Linda Roth posted the fifth fastest time of the morning in 4:08.42 but won’t progress under the two-per-nation rule.
Francisca Martins of Portugal was third through in 4:08.01, two years after bronze at Belgrade 2024, with Quadarella confirming her place in the final in 4:08.07.
Also through: Kseniia Misharina (4:09.78), Sarah Dumont (4:11.03) and Artemis Vasilaki (4:11.70) with 2024 silver medallist and 200 free champion Barbora Seemanova clinching the eighth and final spot in 4:12.05.
Men’s 400 Free
The final is set to be a nailbiting thriller if the prelims were anything to go by.
The hard action started in the fifth of seven heats when Oliver Papai of Hungary – the youngest in the entire field with a December 2009 birthday – posted 3:45.32 ahead of Sauveur Cristofini, the November 2009-born Frenchman going 3:46.98.
Oliver Klemet and Johannes Liebmann lined up in the next heat where the former – who won 1500 bronze on Saturday night – posted 3:45.22 ahead of Victor Johansson (3:46.14).
You didn’t need to look at the start sheets to know who’d arrived on poolside for the final prelim as Leon Marchand took his place behind the lane two blocks. The Frenchman went out fast and traded the lead with Märtens in the opening 300m as the cries of Léon! Léon! rose to a crescendo.
However, Lucas Henveaux and Bulgarian Peter Mitsin got in on the act down the final 50 with the Belgian taking top spot in 3:45.78 ahead of Marchand (3:45.85), Mitsin (3:46.28) and Märtens (3:46.33).
There was a long wait for the world record-holder before his place in the final was confirmed as he clinched the last spot.