Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2026 European Swimming Championships

Day 3 Finals Start List

Welcome!

The third finals session of the European Championships is here, and there are some very exciting events in store tonight, including a few we are on world record watch for.

The meet will open with the women’s 200 freestyle semi-final where Ieva Jurkunaite and Barbora Seemanova are the respective top seeds, but the whole semi-final is looking to be close based on the prelims swims.

The men’s 200 backstroke will follow, and this is one of our potential world record events. In the semi-final last night, Hubert Kos turned nearly a second under Aaron Peirsol‘s 2009 record pace before the final 50. He ended up falling off the pace on the final 50, but he still set a new European record time.

Sarah Sjostrom will lead the women’s 50 fly final field as the massive favorite as she hopes to win her first European title since giving birth to her son less than a year ago.

The men’s 100 freestyle final will feature David Popovici, who has looked phenomenal through the first two rounds of the event. He is another potential world record breaker this evening, but NAB’s Egor Kornev could have something in the tank for tonight as well.

Angharad Evans has broken the Championship record in each of the first two rounds of the 100 breaststroke. She is the top seed for the final tonight, and will be hunting a lifetime best and another sub-1:05 swim for the gold medal.

Filip Nowacki and Kirill Prigoda picked up very close top seeds in the 200 breaststroke prelims, but Caspar Corbeau and Gregory Butler also both swam sub 2:10 times, and could challenge for the top spots in tomorrow’s final.

The women’s 50 backstroke semi-finals are looking like one of the most exciting events of the evening with six swimmers coming in within three tenths of each other, including a three way tie in the prelims for 3rd place.

The stars are out in the men’s 100 fly semi-finals and they will all be battling for the middle lane in tomorrow’s event final with Noe Ponti and Kristof Milak both breaking 51 seconds this morning while European record holder Maxime Grousset sits just behind in 51.03.

The session will wrap up individual with the women’s 400 IM and the men’s 800 free. Justina Kozan, Amalie Smith, and Vivien Jackl all touched within three tenths of each other in prelims at 4:40.47, 4:40.56, and 4:40.71 respectively.

In the men’s 800 freestyle, Germany’s Johannes Liebmann is the favorite to win, but Hungary’s Zalan Sarkany swam a very good race in the prelims and could challenge Liebmann for the title.

The final event will be the women’s 4×100 freestyle relay where the NAB delegation will be hoping to hold off France and the Netherlands. The Netherlands will have Marrit Steenbergen tonight, who is coming off the fastest relay split in history yesterday with her 50.87 anchor leg, which will be hard for anyone to challenge.

 Women’s 200 Freestyle — Semi-Final

• World Record: 1:52.23 – Ariarne Titmus, Australia (2024)
• European Record: 1:52.98 – Federica Pellegrini, Italy (2009)
• Championship Record: 1:54.95 – Charlotte Bonnet, France (2018)
• 2025 World Champion: Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS), 1:53.48
• 2024 European Champion: Barbora Seemanova (CZE), 1:55.37

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Barbora Seemanova (CZE) — 1:55.77
2. Freya Colbert (GBR) — 1:56.28
3. Marrit Steenbergen (NED) — 1:56.35
4. Linda Roth (GER) — 1:56.46
5. Sarah Dumont (BEL) — 1;56.52
6. Ieva Jurkunaite (LTU) — 1:56.90
7. Nikolett Padar (HUN) — 1:57.24
8. Francisca Soares Martins (POR)/Leah Schlosshan (GBR) — 1:57.56 **Swim-Off Required

Czechia’s Barbora Seemanova won the 2nd semifinal to earn the top qualifying spot for tomorrow’s women’s 200 freestyle final.

She stopped the clock in 1:55.77, six tenths off her lifetime best of 1:55.12 from May of 2024, but half-a-second faster than 2nd qualifier, Freya Colbert‘s 1:56.28.

Colbert and Seemanova swam in the same heat. Seemanova split 27.32/29.40/29.51/29.54 to lead Colbert’s 27.69/29.07/29.83/29.69 through all four 50s. Colbert’s lifetime best is 1:54.34 from earlier this year.

Marrit Steenbergen won the first semifinal in 1:56.35, splitting 26.68/29.50/30.33/29.84 to finish a little more than six tenths ahead of Ieva Jurkunaite‘s 1:56.90 in 2nd. Steenbergen’s lifetime best stands at 1:55.51 from July 2023.

Jurkunaite took another three tenths off her Lithuanian record of 1:57.28 from prelims to qualify 6th overall.

Men’s 200 Backstroke — Final

Top 8 Finishers

1. Hubert Kos (HUN) — 1:53.08
2. Apostolos Siskos (GRE) — 1:53.81
3. Thomas Ceccon (ITA) — 1:53.96
4. Roman Mityukov (SUI) — 1:54.07
5. Jan Cejka (CZE) — 1:54.44
6. Hugo Gonzalez de Oliveira (ESP) — 1:54.75
7. John Shortt (IRL) — 1:55.86
8. Flavio Bucca (SUI) — 1:56.20

Hungary’s Hubert Kos won the gold medal in the men’s 200 backstroke final, stopping the clock in 2:53.08 to fall a little short of his European record time of 1:52.30 from yesterday.

Kos was a little slower on all his splits than yesterday. He started the race in 26.16 on the opening 50 to sit about about three tenths off his opening 50 yesterday of 25.82. He was 27.95/28.83/30.14 over the final three 50s, locking up the event win by a little more than seven tenths.

Apostolos Siskos set a new Greek record en route to the silver medal, stopping the clock in 1:53.81 to finish fifteen hundredths ahead of Italy’s Thomas Ceccon. Siskos sat in 3rd for most of the race before dropping to 4th at the 150 mark, splitting 26.75/28.82/29.17. On the final 50, he split a massive 29.08, the fastest in the field.

Thomas Ceccon, who posted on X (formerly Twitter) after yesterday’s semi-final that he would rather “hoe the tomato fields” than swim another 200 backstroke, won the bronze medal in a new Italian record time of 1:53.96. This was nearly two seconds faster than his former best of 1:55.71 from April of 2025. He split 26.74/28.82/29.17/29.08.

Roman Mityukov, who finished 4th in the event, stopped the clock in 1:54.07 to set a new Swiss record.

Women’s 50 Butterfly — Final

Top 8 Finishers

1. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) — 25.05
2. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) — 25.12
3. Sara Junevik (SWE) — 25.51
4. Arina Surkova (NAB)– 25.53
5. Aleksandra Kuznetsova (NAB) — 25.55
6. Angelina Kohler (GER) — 25.72
7. Tamara Potocka (SVK) — 25.86
8. Silvia Di Pietro (ITA) — 25.97

Less than 12 months after having a baby, Sarah Sjostrom reclaimed her European title in the women’s 50 butterfly, swimming 25.05 to finish a tenth ahead of Roos Vanotterdijk‘s 25.12 for the silver medal.

Sjostrom’s swim tied her season best time from the Sette Colli Trophy and is still faster than anyone besides her and Gretchen Walsh have ever been in the event.

Vanotterdijk’s swim was a new Belgian record, taking two tenths off the 25.32 she swam at the World Championships last summer. She will also move up to 6th all-time in the event, just behind Japan’s Rikako Ikee in 25.11.

2024 European champion Sara Junevik won the bronze medal in 25.51, seventeen hundredths faster than her 2024 winning time of 25.68.

Men’s 100 Freestyle — Final

Top 8 Finishers

1. David Popovici (ROU) — 46.56 **New Championship Record
2. Egor Kornev (NAB) — 46.74
3. Kristof Milak (HUN) — 46.87
4. Luca Hoek le Guenedal (ESP) — 47.39
5. Jere Hribar (CRO) — 47.42
6. Nandor Nemeth (HUN) — 47.47
7. Carlos D’Ambrosio (ITA) — 47.58
8. Tomas Navikonis (LTU) — 47.75

The men’s 100 freestyle was more exciting than predicted, and it came down to the wire, but ultimately Romania’s David Popovici earned the gold medal in Championship record fashion, stopping the clock in 46.56.

This swim was four hundredths off his lifetime best of 46.51 from the 2025 World Championships, but won the event by almost two tenths over Egor Kornev‘s 46.74.

Kornev was out quick splitting 22.06 on the opening 50 meters, three tenths faster than Popovici’s 22.36 in 2nd.

Over the last 50 meters, Popovici slowly caught up, but it wasn’t until the last 15 meters that it became clear Popovici had overtaken the lead. He split 24.20 on his final 50 to surpass Kornev’s 24.68 and pick up another European title in the event.

Korenv’s final time was a new Russian record, taking down the 46.96 mark he set at the Russian Championships earlier this year. He is now the 3rd fastest performer in history, overtaking American Jack Alexy

Kristof Milak took 3rd in 46.87, becoming the 8th man in history to break 47 seconds. He will become the 5th fastest performer all-time and take down the Hungarian record of 47.44 set by Nandor Nemeth in the semifinal.

Jere Hribar set a new Croatian record time of 47.42 to finish 5th overall, and Tomas Navikonis set a new Lithuanian record time of 47.75 to finish 8th overall.

Women’s 100 Breaststroke — Final

Top 8 Finishers

1. Angharad Evans (GBR) — 1:04.87 **New Championship Record
2. Mona McSharry (IRL) — 1:05.41
3. Benedetta Pilato (ITA) — 1:05.89
4. Eneli Jefimova (EST) — 1:05.94
5. Evgeniia Chikunova (NAB) — 1:06.08
6. Tes Schouten (NED) — 1:06.31
7. Anna Elendt (GER) — 1:06.37
8. Lisa Angiolini (ITA) — 1:06.73

Angharad Evans has been having a major meet so far, and she picked up her 3rd Championship record and her first European Championships gold in the women’s 100 breaststroke final.

Evans stopped the clock in 1:04.87, taking a tenth off her semi-finals record of 1:04.97 from yesterday. She split 30.82/34.05, sitting in 4th place at the 50 mark before taking the lead in the final 25 meters. She also takes a tenth off her British record time of 1;04.96, which she set at the British Championships in April.

Mona McSharry split 30.66/34.75 to sit in 2nd the whole race, stopping the clock in 1:05.41. This swim was a new personal best for her as well, and took a tenth off her Irish record time of 1:05.51 from the 2024 Olympics.

Benedetta Pilato was out fast, splitting 30.08 on the opening 50 to hold the lead. She came home in 35.81 to drop to 3rd and stop the clock in 1:05.89, four tenths off her lifetime best and Italian record time of 1:05.44

Men’s 200 Breaststroke — Semi-Final

• World Record: 2:05.48 – Qin Haiyang, China (2023)
• European Record: 2:05.85 – Leon Marchand, France (2024)
• Championship Record: 2:06.80 – Anton Chupkov, Russia (2018)
• 2025 World Champion: Qin Haiyang (CHN), 2:07.41
• 2024 European Champion: Lyubomir Epitropov (BGR)/Erik Persson (SWE), 2:09.45

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Filip Nowacki (GBR) — 2:08.60
2. Luka Mladenovic (AUT) — 2:08.85
3. Caspar Corbeau (NED) — 2:09.00
4. Kirill Prigoda (NAB) — 2:09.17
5. Jack Kelly (IRL) — 2:09.23
6. Gregory Butler (GBR) — 2:09.37
7. Christian Mantegazza (ITA) — 2:09.87
8. Lucas Matzerath (GER) — 2:10.07

The men’s 200 breaststroke semifinal saw Great Britain’s Filip Nowacki earn the top qualifying time in 2:08.60, finishing two tenths ahead of Luka Mladenovic‘s 2:08.85 in 2nd.

Nowacki, who sawm in the 1st semifinal, finished almost eight tenths ahead of Great Britain’s Gregory Butler, who stopped the clock in 2:09.37 for 2nd in the heat. Hes plit 28.96/32.91/33.20/33.53 to add a little more than a second from his lifetime best of 2:07.32 from last summer.

Luka Mladenovic, Caspar Corbeau, Kirill Prigoda, and Jack Kelly had a very close race for the top time in the 2nd semifinal, but Austria’s Mladenovic came out on top, stopping the clock in 2:08.85, a new lifetime best from his 2:10.08, which he set last June.

Corbeau led through the first 100 meters, splitting 28.48/32.38 to turn in 1:00.86, just ahead of Jack Kelly‘s 1:01.01 (28.70/32.31) in 2nd. Prigoda sat in 3rd at 1:01.42 (28.71/32.71), and Mladenovic was 4th in 1:01.89 (28.90/32.99).

Kelly briefly took over the lead at the 150 mark, splitting 33.37 (1:34.38) to sit just ahead of Corbeau’s 33.64 (1:34.50). Mladenovic moved to 3rd in 33.20 (1:35.09), and Prigoda split 33.82 to drop to 4th (1:35.24).

On the final 50, Mladneovic split a monster 33.76 to finish in 1st in the heat and 2nd overall. Corbeau swam 34.50 to stop the clock in 2:09.00 for 2nd in the heat and 3rd overall. Prigoda swam 33.93 to stop the clock in 2:09.17 for 3rd in the heat and 4th overall, and Kelly was 24.85 to set a new lifetime best 2:09.23 for 4th in the heat and 5th overall

Women’s 50 Backstroke — Semi-Final

• World Record: 26.86, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2023
• European Record: 27.07, Sara Curtis (ITA) – 2026
• Championship Record: 27.19, Kathleen Dawson (GBR) – 2021
• 2025 World Champion: Katharine Berkoff (USA), 27.08
• 2024 European Champion: Danielle Hill (IRL), 27.73

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Sara Curtis (ITA) — 26.63 **NEW WORLD RECORD
2. Alina Gaifutdinova (NAB) — 26.91
3. Mary-Ambre Moluh (FRA) — 27.25
4. Tessa Giele (NED) — 27.30
5. Marrit Steenbergen (NED) — 27.31
6. Analia Pigree (FRA) — 27.34
7. Lauren Cox (GBR) — 27.39
8. Danielle Hill (IRL) — 27.85

WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED.

For the first time in more than eight years, a women’s backstroke world record is broken by somebody not named Kaylee McKeown or Regan Smith.

Sara Curtis won the women’s 50 backstroke semifinals in a monster new world record time of 26.63. She shattered the former record of 26.86 set by McKeown back in 2023, becoming just the 4th woman in history to break 26 seconds.

In another major swim, Neutral Athlete ‘B’ Alina Gaifutdinova became the 3rd fastest performer in history, only behind Curtis and McKeown, stopping the clock in 26.91 to be the 5th woman to break 26 seconds and set a new Russian national record in the process.

Updated Top 5 All-Time

1. Sara Curtis (ITA) — 26.63 (2026)
2. Kaylee McKeown (AUS) — 26.86 (2023)
3. Alina Gaifutdinova (RUS) — 26.91 (2026)
4. Katharine Berkoff (USA) — 26.97 (2025)
5. Xiang Liu (CHN) — 26.98 (2018)

Mary-Ambre Moluh took 3rd in 27.25, five hundredths off her lifetime best 27.20 from the French National Championships.

Men’s 100 Butterfly — Semi-Final

• World Record: 49.45 – Caeleb Dressel, United States (2021)
• European Record: 49.62 – Maxime Grousset, France (2025)
• Championship Record: 50.18 – Kristof Milak, Hungary (2021)
• 2025 World Champion: Maxime Grousset, France – 49.62
• 2024 European Champion: Kristof Milak, Hungary – 50.82

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Noe Ponti (SUI) — 50.21
2. Kristof Milak (HUN) — 50.50
3. Maxime Grousset (FRA) — 50.78
4. Hubert Kos (HUN) — 51.05
5. Kaii Winkler (GER) — 51.34
6. Jakub Bartosz Majerski (POL) — 51.37
7. Andrei Minakov (NAB) — 51.43
8. Edward Mildred (GBR) — 51.44

The men’s 100 butterfly semi-final saw three men finish under 51 seconds, led by Switzerland’s Noe Ponti in 50.21.

Ponti won the 2nd heat, splitting 23.64/26.57 to stop the clock a little off his lifetime best of 49.83 from the 2025 World Championships. He finished just five tenths ahead of European record holder Maxime Grousset, who finished 2nd in the heat at 50.78 (23.48/27.30)

Kristof Milak won the 1st semifinal in 50.50, half-a-second ahead of Hubert Kos, who swam 51.05 to finish 2nd. Milak, the reigning Olympic gold medalist, split 23.76/26.74 to add about a second from his lifetime best of 49.68.

Kos split 23.86/27.19 to qualify 4th overall shortly after his 200 backstroke final. His final time of 51.05

Women’s 400 Individual Medley — Final

• World Record: 4:23.65 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2025
• European Record: 4:26.36 – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2016
• Championship Record: 4:30.90 – Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2016
• 2025 World Champion: Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 4:25.78
• 2024 European Champion: Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) – 4:36.05

Top 8 Finishers

1. Ellen Walshe (IRL) — 4:34.42
2. Amalie Smith (GBR) — 4:35.12
3. Justina Kozan (POL) — 4:36.57
4. Vivien Jackl (HUN) — 4:37.30
5. Alba Vazquez Ruiz (ESP) — 4:38.21
6. Giada Alzetta (ITA) — 4:39.83
7. Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) — 4;45.07
8. Anna Pirovano (ITA) — 4:48.25

The women’s 400 IM final went to Ireland’s Ellen Walshe in the first long course European gold medal of her career. She swam 4:34.42, finishing six tenths ahead of Great Britain’s Amalie Smith, who sawm 4:35.12 for 2nd.

Walshe started the race in 6th overall, turning in 1:03.05 after the butterfly to sit nearly a second behind the leader, Alba Vazquez Ruiz, who swam 1:02.19 to hold the top spot.

She fell further behind the leader on the backstroke but moved up in the ranking, swimming 1:09.72 to move to 4th overall and turn in 2:14.26, two-and-a-half seconds behind Vivien Jackl of Hungary, who split 1:08.79 to turn in 2:11.81.

On the breaststroke, she moved up to 2nd, splitting 1:17.67 to touch in 3:31.93. She sat a second-and-a-half behind Smith, who turned in 3:30.38 after splitting 1:02.62/1:11.52/1:16.24 to move into the lead after the breaststroke leg.

On the freestyle, Walshe quickly made up ground, splitting 31.69 on the first 50 to turn just two tenths behind Smith’s 32.98. The final 50 saw Walshe split 30.80, one of the fastest splits in the field to overtake Smith’s 31.76 for the win.

Walshe’s swim was a new Irish record, taking a full second off the 4:35.32 she swam at the TYR Pro Swim Series in May of 2025.

Smith stopped the clock in 4:35.12, a little more than a second off her European Junior record of 4:33.70 from the Commonwealth Games.

Poland’s Justina Kozan swam 4:36.47 to win the bronze medal. This was a massive new lifetime best, taking four seconds off the 4:40.57 she swam in June of 2023. She also set a new Polish record, taking half-a-second off Katarzyna Baranowska‘s 2008 time of 4:36.95.

Men’s 800 Freestyle — Final

Top 8 Finishers

1. Johannes Liebmann (GER) — 7:37.59 *New European Record
2. Sven Schwarz (GER) — 7:41.16
3. Zalan Sarkany (HUN) — 7:41.75
4. Daniel Wiffen (IRL) — 7:43.30
5. Dimitrios Markos (GRE) — 7:43.52
6. Luca de Tullio (ITA) — 7:44.24
7. Carlos Garach Benito (ESP) – 7:45.41
8. Kristof Rasovszky (HUN) — 7:51.41

Johannes Liebmann dominated the men’s 800 freestyle final, setting a new European record time of 7:37.59, taking a little more than three tenths off his own former record time of 7:37.94 from earlier this year, while negative splitting the race

Liebmann led the race from wire-to-wire, though he was close with German teammate Sven Schwarz and Hungary’s Zalan Sarkany through the first 550 meters. Liebmann split 3:49.05 on the opening 400 to turn just under three tenths ahead of Sarkany’s 3:49.33 in 2nd and six tenths ahead of Schwarz’s 3:49.67 in 3rd.

At the 500 mark, Liebmann turned on the gas in a major way. He went from 28-mid splits to 28.39 at the 550 mark to extend his lead. He swam 3:48.54 on the 2nd 400, half-a-second faster than his opening split to earn the win by more than three-and-a-half seconds.

Schwarz overtook 2nd on the final 50, splitting 27.00 to move ahead of Sarkany’s 27.93. He split 4:51.79 on his final 400, about six tenths fastesr than Sarkany’s 4:52.42 split. Schwarz touched in 7:41.16 and Sarkany swam 7:41.75

Sarkany set another Hungarian National Record, taking half-a-second off the 7:42.34 mark he set in the prelims.

Women’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay — Final

• World Record: 3:27.96 – Australia (O’Callaghan, Jack, Harris, McKeon), 2023
• European Record: 3:31.72 – Netherlands (Dekker, Kromowidjojo, Heemskerk, Veldhuis), 2009
• Championship Record: 3:33.62 – Netherlands (Dekker, Kromowidjojo, Heemskerk, Veldhuis), 2008
• 2025 World Champion: Australia (O’Callaghan, Harris, Jansen, Wunsch) – 3:30.60
• 2024 European Champion: Hungary (Senanszky, Abraham, Ugrai, Padar) – 3:36.77

Top 8 Finishers

1. Netherlands (van Wijk, de Jong, van Kalmthout, Steenbergen) — 3:31.89 **New Championship Record
2. Italy (Menicucci, Curtis, Tarantino, Mao) — 3:33.19
3. Neutral Athletes B (Klepikova, Kuznetsova, Gaifutdinova, Manokhina) — 3:33.69
4. France — 3:33.91
5. Great Britain — 3:34.47
6. Hungary — 3:35.47
7. Germany — 3:36.90
8. Spain — 3:38.19

The women’s 4×100 freestyle relay was one of the most exciting events of the session, and ultimately, the Netherlands came out on top in a new Championship record time of 3:31.89, taking almost two seconds off their own 18-year-old record of 3:33.62 from 2008.

Milou van Wijk led the team off in 53.40, putting them in 2nd place overall behind the Neutral Athlete ‘B’ team, who had Daria Klepikova lead of fin 53.22. France was 3rd with Marie Wattel splitting 53.69, and Italy sat in 4th after Emma Virginia Menicucci swam 53.85.

There was some major rearranging on the 2nd leg after Sara Curtis, fresh off the world record in the 50 backstroke, swam 52.29 to move the Italian team into the top spot. The Netherlands stayed in 2nd with Imani de Jong splitting 53.47. The Neutral Athlete ‘B’ team dropped to 3rd after Aleksandra Kuznetsova split 53.85 and France moved to 4th with Beryl Gastaldello‘s 53.42.

Italy retained their top spot on the 3rd 100 after Chiara Tarantino swam 53.68 to hold off the Netherland’s Yara van Kalmthout, who also split 53.68 to remain in 2nd. France moved up to 3rd after Albane Cachot swam 53.27 and the NAB team dropped to 4th with Alina Gaifutdinova‘s 53.54.

Marrit Steenbergen took the water for the Netherlands on the final leg, and by the 50 turn, she had already moved into a four tenth lead. She swam 24.36/26.98 to split 31.34, almost a second faster than anyone in the field.

Alessandra Mao anchored for Italy, swimming 53.37 to stop the clock in 3:33.19, seven tenths ahead of the Neutral Athlete ‘B’ team, who had Kira Manokhina swim 53.08 on their anchor leg for 3rd.

They touched in 3:33.69, just two tenths ahead of France’s 3:33.91 with Mary-Ambre Moluh splitting 53.53 on the final 100.