As the last ripples flow from an outstanding European Aquatics Championships Paris 2026 its legacy in terms of world and continental swimming can be partly expressed by the list of records broken during the seven-day programme at the Olympic Aquatic Centre.
A total of 33 records were set and one equalled, with the list being headed by the world records from two hugely talented 19-year-olds – Johannes Liebmann of Germany and Italy’s Sara Curtis.
Liebmann pulverised the men’s 1500m freestyle world record, becoming the first man to go under 14.30 with a time of 14.26.79.
He thus took almost four seconds off the mark of 14.30.67 set by Bobby Finke of the United States in winning at the Paris 2024 Games.
“The time is insane,” he told European Aquatics. “But I knew I could go fast and that was the plan.”
Liebmann had earlier improved his own European record to 7:37.59 in winning 800m freestyle gold.
Curtis set her first world record of 26.63 in the women’s 50m backstroke semi-finals, erasing the mark of 26.68 set by Australia’s Kaylee McKeown in Budapest three years ago.
She followed up in the final with a time of 26.56 as she earned her first senior European gold.
Double women’s world 100m freestyle champion Marrit Steenbergen set three successive Championship records of 52.62, 52.44 and 51.90 in securing the European title in that event.
Her accomplishment was matched by Great Britain’s Angharad Evans, who set Championship marks of 1:05.45, 1:04.97 and 1:04.87 in winning women’s 100m breaststroke gold.
France’s Mary-Ambre Moluh set European women’s 100m backstroke records of 57.99 and 57.94 in the women’s 4x100m medley and women’s 100m backstroke final repectively.
Hungary’s world and Olympic champion Hubert Kos set a European record of 1:52.30 in the men’s 200m backstroke final, and another European record fell when his team-mate Kristof Milak clocked 49.48 in the men’s 100m butterfly final.
David Popovici of Romania lowered the men’s 100m freestyle Championship record to 46.72 and 46.56 in the semi-finals and final.
World junior records were set by home swimmer Nathan Muratory, who clocked 1:54.87 in the men’s 200m backstroke heats, and NAB’s Mikhail Shcherbakov, who recorded 1:56.16 in the men’s 200m individual medley final.
Belgium’s 21-year-old Roos Vanotterdijk equalled the women’s 100m butterfly Championship record when she recorded 55.89 in the semi-finals.
Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics