- Results
- Watch the European Championships Live (And Free!)
- Day 1 prelims report
- Day 1 finals report
- Day 2 prelims report
- Day 2 finals report
The third day of prelims get underway with Kristof Milak and Marrit Steenbergen among the swimmers taking to the water at the Olympic Aquatic Centre.
Milak goes in the 100 fly – in which he won the Olympic title across the city at La Defense Arena in 2024 – where victory would bring a four-peat.
Steenbergen returns after a showcase of speed on Tuesday evening with 100 free gold preceding a historic relay split, four years after the Netherlands swimmer won the 200 free title at Roma 2022.
Women’s 200m Freestyle
Barbora Seemanova led the way as she launched the defence of the title she’s won at two of the last editions.
The Czechia athlete struck gold at Belgrade 2024, three years after victory at the 2021 edition in Budapest.
She posted 1:57.10 in Paris ahead of Lithuania’s Ieva Jurkunaite (1:57.28) and Linda Roth (1:57.60). Steenbergen was fourth through in 1:58.00, conserving some energy with the 50 back prelims to come later in the session.
Men’s 100m Butterfly
This promises to be a ding-dong battle of the highest quality with the Olympic champion, world champion and world silver medallist among the field.
Noè Ponti had a goggles mishap in the 50 fly final on Tuesday which clearly affected his performance as he fell to eighth. The Swiss – second at the 2025 worlds in Singapore – posted 50.47 to lead the way.
Milak has won the 100/200 fly double at the last three editions although the Hungarian isn’t entered into the longer race in the French capital.
He won Olympic gold a few miles across the city at La Defense Arena two years ago and posted 50.81.
Maxime Grousset’s appearance for the seventh and final heat saw the crowd volume crank up a couple of notches with the Frenchman returning after relay gold and 50 fly silver on Tuesday. The world champion and European record holder posted 51.03 with the three men leading the way into the semis.
Among those progressing are Ed Mildred, Hubert Kos, Andrei Minakov and Alberto Razzetti.
Of note was Thomas Ceccon’s absence. The Italian was due to go alongside Grousset in the final prelim but didn’t appear.
Women’s 50m Backstroke
Sara Curtis was back in the water the morning after bronze in the 100 free behind a Dutch 1-2 of Steenbergen and Milou van Wijk.
The Italian arrived in Paris as the newly-minted European record holder following her 27.07 blast at the Sette Colli meet in Rome. She posted 27.31 to lead the way into the semifinals.
Mary-Ambre Moluh set a European record over 100m on leadoff as France won the mixed medley relay on Tuesday and she sits second in 27.39.
Steenbergen, Analia Pigree and Alina Gaifutdinova all posted 27.61 followed by the Netherlands’ Tessa Giele (27.64).
Beryl Gastaldello went 27.75 to make it three Frenchwomen in the top seven. However, the two-per-nation rule came into play with the three-time relay champion eliminated.
Men 200m Breaststroke
Kirill Prigoda led four men on 2:09 into the semis as the two-per-nation rule struck once more.
Prigoda, representing the Neutral Athletes B team, posted 2:09.47 followed by world junior champion and Commonwealth gold medallist Filip Nowacki (2:09.47) and Olympic bronze medallist Caspar Corbeau (2:09.66).
Aleksandr Zhigalov was the second NAB athlete home in 2:09.84 ahead of Ireland’s Jack Kelly (2:10.14) with Daniil Pisetski making it three Neutral Athletes in the top six in 2:10.29. However, as the third fastest, Pisetski won’t progress.