{"id":511460,"date":"2022-08-15T11:14:31","date_gmt":"2022-08-15T18:14:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=511460"},"modified":"2022-08-15T13:20:53","modified_gmt":"2022-08-15T20:20:53","slug":"european-championships-france-win-4x100-mixed-freestyle-relay-ahead-of-britain-sweden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/european-championships-france-win-4x100-mixed-freestyle-relay-ahead-of-britain-sweden\/","title":{"rendered":"European Championships: France Win 4×100 Mixed Freestyle Relay Ahead Of Britain & Sweden"},"content":{"rendered":"

European Championships: France Win 4×100 Mixed Freestyle Relay Ahead Of Britain & Sweden<\/strong><\/p>\n

France won gold in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay after Marie Wattel<\/strong> overhauled joint leaders Italy and Sweden on the final leg at the European Championship<\/strong>s in Rome.<\/p>\n

By virtue of Sweden claiming the bronze medal, Sarah Sjostrom<\/strong> – who swam a third leg of 52.68 – tied Alexander Popov’s all-time total of 26 long-course European Championship medals.<\/p>\n

The Russian won 21 golds, three silvers and two bronze medals, including 13 relays, while Sjostrom has 15 golds, seven silvers and four bronzes, including 10 relays.<\/p>\n

Sjostrom said:<\/p>\n

“This is amazing, though you know I always say that I\u2019m not that good with stats, I don’t really keep an eye on them.<\/p>\n

“This is very fitting that this historic medal came in a relay, it was a great performance from our relay. And I think I have a good chance in the 50m fly and in the medley relay so we two more promising days to come.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Maxime Grousset<\/strong> (48.02), Charles Rihoux<\/strong> (48.39) and Charlotte Bonnet<\/strong> (53.34) had put France in the top three throughout and Wattel produced an anchor leg of 53.05 as she made up the 0.07 deficit at the final handover to stop the clock at\u00a0 3:22.80.<\/p>\n

It was the fourth time since it was introduced to the European showcase in 2014 that France have been on the podium and the second they have stood on the top step following gold at Glasgow 2018.<\/p>\n

Freya Anderson<\/strong> went 53.03 to steer Britain into silver after she took over from Anna Hopkin<\/strong> in fourth to touch in 3:23.20.<\/p>\n

Sweden were third in 3:23.40 after Sjostrom had propelled the quartet into the joint lead.<\/p>\n