By Retta Race on SwimSwam
2026 European Swimming Championships
August 10-16, 2026 Paris, France — Olympic Aquatics Centre LCM (50 Meters) Meet Information Meet Central Entries SwimSwam Preview IndexBy The Numbers – Men’s 200 Butterfly
World Record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak, Hungary (2022) European Record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak, Hungary (2022) Championship Record: 1:51.10 – Kristof Milak, Hungary (2021) 2025 World Champion: Luca Urlando, United States – 1:51.87 2024 European Champion: Kristof Milak, Hungary – 1:54.43We know that the podium between the 2024 European Championships and this year’s edition in Paris will indeed look different, as the reigning gold medalist and world record holder Kristof Milak of Hungary is bypassing the event in favor of sprints.
That means the 2024 Olympic champion Leon Marchand of France most likely has a clear path to the top of the podium as long as his recent adductor injury doesn’t keep the 24-year-old from performing at his best.
If things don’t go according to plan, there are several key contenders ready to snap up the top spot as we take a look at who will be vying for hardware in the 200m fly this week in Paris.
Marchand is on the March
As mentioned, Marchand is the reigning Olympic champion in this event, having beaten the defending gold medalist Milak at the 2024 Games in Paris. The former clocked a lifetime best and French national record of 1:51.21 to Milak’s runner-up result of 1:51.75 in the tight battle.
Already this season, Marchand has produced a world-leading mark of 1:52.57, a time he put up at the U.S. Open in December. That gives him an advantage of over two seconds over the #2-ranked swimmer in the world, Duncan Scott of Great Britain, who notched 1:54.97 at April’s Aquatic GB Championships.
Surprisingly, however, Scott is opting out of this 2fly event at the European Championships, instead sticking to the 200m IM as the Olympic multi-medalist’s sole individual event.
Marchand was entered in the 200m IM, 400m IM and 400m free in addition to this 2fly; however, it was just announced that the world record holder has dropped both of the IM races. This means the 200m fly will be his first individual event and he’ll have extra energy to potentially put up something special in front of a home crowd, as long as he’s healthy enough to do so.
Poland’s Time to Shine
22-year-old Krzysztof Chmielewski has been knocking on the door of his first senior elite international title for some time now, having settled for silver in the 200m fly at the 2024 European Championships as well as at last year’s World Championships.
Prior to Singapore, the Pole reaped an impressive 4th-place finish at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Chmielewski’s time of 1:52.64 from last year’s Worlds represents a lifetime best for the multi-World Junior Championships and European Junior Championships gold medalist, checking him in as the 6th-fastest man ever in the event. Both his final time and his semi-swim of 1:52.89 from Singapore represent the only two performances of his younger career to clear the 1:53 barrier.
He took the 200m fly at last year’s U23 Championships in a result of 1:54.91 but has yet to race long course this calendar year, leaving somewhat of a question mark as to what type of form the USC Trojan will be in this week.
Richard Marton Ready to Make His Mark
Hungary will be represented by 24-year-old Richard Marton, another viable medal contender who is looking to make his mark on the European Championships stage.
Marton enters this competition ranked as the 7th-best European this season, having notched a result of 1:55.51 at the Sette Colli Trophy in June.
Marton fell short of the podium at the 2024 European Championships, taking 4th in a time of 1:56.07 but at the 2022 edition he captured silver in a much quicker outing of 1:54.78.
Last year in Singapore, Marton was shut out of the final, finishing 14th in a disappointing 1:55.80 after having turned in a time of 1:55.51 in the semi-finals. That lackluster outing most likely left a bad taste in Marton’s mouth and provides extra incentive to make amends this time around.
With Milak out of the picture, Marton has the chance to come out from behind his countryman’s shadow in this 200m fly and potentially finally steal the spotlight if he’s able to get back into the range of the 1:54.54 lifetime best from three years ago.
Italy Brings Two Possibilities
Federico Burdisso busted onto the scene by claiming 200m fly bronze at the 2020 Olympic Games, but since Tokyo, the 24-year-old Italian has struggled to repeat that caliber of performance to land on an international championship podium.
His lifetime best and Italian national record of 1:54.28 was produced back in 2021, with his best time since checking in at the 1:54.76 delivered last year. He enters this competition ranked 20th in the world, courtesy of the 1:55.10 nabbed at April’s Italian Championships.
We’re bringing the former Northwestern swimmer into the conversation due to the fact that he did finish 8th at last year’s World Championships and currently ranks as the 5th-swiftest European man at the moment.
But ahead of Burdisso is countryman Alberto Razzetti, the man who bagged the bronze in this event at the 2022 European Championships and placed 8th at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Razzetti owns a season-best of 1:54.99 from the aforementioned Italian Championships but has been as fast as 1:54.47 in his career from the 2025 World Championships semi-finals. There in Singapore, he ultimately touched in 1:54.85 for 6th place.
If Burdisso and Razzetti can spur one another on in the absence of Milak and Scott, there’s a chance we could see at least one of them among the trio of medalists when all is said and done.
Not to be Counted Out
A threesome of possible medalists lurks in the form of Noe Ponti of Switzerland, Ed Mildred of Great Britain and Hubert Kos of Hungary.
Known more for his 50m and 100m butterfly prowess in the long-course format, including a 100m fly bronze from the 2020 Olympic Games, 25-year-old Ponti has several impressive short course performances in the longer event.
Ponti earned 200m fly silver at the 2021 Short Course World Championships, bronze at the 2022 European SC Championships and upgraded to gold last year in Lublin.
On the LCM front, Ponti finished 5th (1:54.14) at the 2024 Olympic Games following a 5th place outing at the 2022 European Championships.
He’ll need to improve upon his season-best of 1:56.10 logged at the Sette Colli Trophy, however, if he seeks a podium placement in Paris.
As for Mildred, the 23-year-old British ace has been on a tear, including taking down the supersuited national record in the SCM 200 fly by snatching a lifetime best of 1:50.64 last December.
At this year’s Aquatics GB Championships, the European Junior Championships multi-medalist ripped a time of 1:55.03, a new lifetime best, to represent Great Britain’s 4th-quickest performer in history.
Unfortunately for Mildred, he added over a second for a time of 1:56.75 last month in Glasgow to settle for a 5th-place finish at the Commonwealth Games. If he’s able to bounce back and hit a better taper in Paris, he can get back on his upward trajectory and throw his hat in the ring for at least a minor medal.
Finally, Olympic gold medalist Kos can’t be counted out of any event he swims, as the 23-year-old’s versatility is a threat on multiple levels.
He clocked a season-best of 1:55.11 in the 200m fly at the Longhorn Aquatics Elite Invite in June to rank among the top Europeans, with his time hitting a new lifetime best and the sole occasion on which he’s been under the 1:56 threshold.
Kos has entered a packed schedule of six individual events for these championships, with the 200m fly, should he maintain his entry, falling on day five. That’s after Kos will have swum the 50m back, 200m back and 100m fly so he won’t be as fresh as some of the other racers.
SwimSwam Picks
Place Swimmer Nation Season Best Lifetime Best 1 Leon Marchand France 1:52.57 1:51.21 2 Krzysztof Chmielewski Poland N/A 1:52.64 3 Alberto Razzetti Italy 1:54.99 1:54.47 4 Noe Ponti Switzerland 1:56.10 1:54.14 5 Richard Marton Hungary 1:56.56 1:54.54 6 Ed Mildred Great Britain 1:55.03 1:55.03 7 Federico Burdisso Italy 1:55.10 1:54.28 8 Hubert Kos Hungary 1:55.11 1:55.11Dark Horse: Martin Espernberger (AUT)
Although 22-year-old Martin Espernberger of Austria has yet to race in 2026, he punched a 200m fly result of 1:55.44 at last year’s Canadian Trials. He’s been as fast as 1:54.17 in his young career, a time he put on the books en route to placing an impressive 6th at the 2024 Olympic Games. Earlier that year, he reaped bronze at the World Championships in Doha, putting up 1:55.16. As with a few other of our potential medalists, Esperneberger’s form is a bit of a question mark but his history carries some hardware into the race so we’ll have to wait and see how he looks.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2026 European Championship Previews: Leon Marchand’s 200 Fly Path Looks Clear
Hence then, the article about 2026 european championship previews leon marchand s 200 fly path looks clear was published today ( ) and is available on swimswam ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( 2026 European Championship Previews: Leon Marchand’s 200 Fly Path Looks Clear )
Also on site :