- Results
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- Day 1 prelims report
- Day 1 finals report
- Day 2 prelims report
Marrit Steenbergen showcased her sustained quality with victory in the 100 free on day two of finals at the European Championships in Paris.
The Netherlands swimmer reclaimed the title she first won at Roma 2022 with her third championship record in as many races as she dipped through the 52 barrier once more. She then went on to do the fastest split by a woman in history when she anchored the Netherlands to mixed medley relay silver in 50.87.
Katie Shanahan broke the British record that had stood since the supersuit era of 2009 en-route to the 200 back title.
Egor Kornev took the 50 fly crown, 0.02 ahead of home favourite Maxime Grousset. Grousset returned for the final event of the session where he steered France into first position with a shuddering fly leg with the quartet taking the title as Mary-Ambre Moluh broke the continental 100 back record on lead-off.
Simona Quadarella won her fourth 800 free gold while Italian teammate Nicolo Martinenghi clinched his second 100m breaststroke gold.
Women’s 200m Backstroke
Katie Shanahan became the second British woman to win the title when she upgraded her 2022 silver to gold in Paris.
Second at the first turn, Shanahan dominated thereafter to take the title in a British record of 2:06.13, cutting 0.53 from Gemma Spofforth’s 2009 standard.
Camila Rebelo was second in 2:07.62 – two years after she became the first Portuguese European champion in the pool – with France’s Pauline Mahieu third in 2:08.63.
Lizzie Simmonds won Great Britain’s solitary gold in the event at Budapest 2010 when she led home Spofforth for a British 1-2.
However, Shanahan now joins her as a European champion, four years after silver behind Margherita Panziera at Roma 2022.
The Scot added European gold to the Commonwealth silver she won last month in Glasgow.
Men’s 50m Butterfly
Egor Kornev blazed his way to the 50 fly title in Paris, 0.02 ahead of home favourite Maxime Grousset.
Kornev, of the Neutral Athlete B squad, stopped the clock at 22.52 with Grousset going 22.54 and Grigori Pekarski taking bronze from lane one in 22.68.
Kornev had rattled Andrii Govorov’s 22.27 WR in the semis in 22.36 but neither he nor Grousset looked likely to take ownership of the standard held by the Ukrainian since 2018.
Thomas Ceccon missed the podium by 0.04 while 2025 world silver medallist Noè Ponti – who qualified third in 22.53 – was eighth in 22.91.
Women’s 100 Freestyle
Marrit Steenbergen pulled away on the second 50 to win the 100 free in a Dutch 1-2.
The two-time world champion was second at halfway, 0.02 behind Italian Sara Curtis, but a 26.80 second 50 steered her into the wall in 51.90 as she claimed her third championship record in as many races. It was her seventh European title in al and came four years after she won the title at Roma 2022.
Teammate Milou van Wijk was second in 52.71, 0.01 ahead of Curtis who took her first continental long-course medal in 52.72.
Steenbergen is the sixth Dutchwoman to have won the title three of the last four crowns being placed on Netherlands’ heads – Steenbergen in 2022 and 2026 and Femke Heemskerk in 2021.
Men’s 100m Breaststroke
Nicolo Martinenghi came through on the second 50 to clinch the European title for the second time, four years after glory in front of a home crowd in Rome.
The Olympic champion was third at halfway but he moved through to win in 58.58 ahead of Ivan Kozhakin (58.68) with Simone Cerasuolo making it an Italy 1-3 in 58.90.
Defending champion Melvin Imoudu was fourth (59.05) while Ramsay-Peaty had too much ground to make up after the start and was fifth in 59.10, 0.01 ahead of British teammate Filip Nowacki (59.11).
