By Sam Blacker on SwimSwam
2026 European Swimming Championships
August 10-16, 2026 Paris, France – Olympic Aquatics Centre LCM (50 Meters) Meet Information Meet Central Entries Results Live Results SwimSwam Preview Index Live Stream Recaps: Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3Men’s 200m Freestyle Heats
World Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann, Germany (2009) European Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann, Germany (2009) Championship Record: 1:42.97 – David Popovici, Romania (2022) 2025 World Champion: David Popovici (ROU), 1:43.64 2024 European Champion: David Popovici (ROU), 1:43.13Top 16 Qualifiers:
There was a big name missing from the 200 free heats this morning, as 2023 world champion Matt Richards opted not to swim. He was initially entered as the #3 seed in 1:44.77.
Richards won Olympic silver two years ago in addition to that world title, but missed the final in 12th at the 2025 World Championships. He has already posted a solid 200 free time with a 1:45.44 leadoff on the 4×200 free relay on day 1. He went out fast in that race, splitting 50.31/55.13, and looked a little off after he exited the water.
That was apparent in his performance in the 100 free semi-finals last night, where he finished 16th in 48.88. That was over a second slower than the 47.53 he posted to win the British title in April, and 1.24 seconds slower than the 47.64 he swam for Commonwealth Games silver three weeks ago.
He won the British title in 1:44.77, beating out 2015 world champion James Guy and Tokyo Olympic medalist Duncan Scott with a strong final 50 of 26.67. That was his fourth-fastest swim ever, and his fastest since the final at the Paris Olympics.
Richards had also been left off the British team for the 4×100 free relay at the end of this morning’s session. It remains to be seen whether he is going all-in on the final of that event tonight, or if this scratch was a prelude to a withdrawal from the rest of the meet.
He would be a likely pick for the men’s 4×100 free relay, mixed 4×100 free relay, mixed 4×200 free relay, and men’s 4×100 medley relay over the next few days. Great Britain are medal contenders in all four, although their status in all bar the mixed 4×200 free relay are more in doubt now given the uncertainty over Richards and some below-par men’s performances in the individual 100 free.
In Richard’s absence, James Guy (1:45.40) and Jack McMillan (1:46.36) moved through to the semi-finals, with Tom Dean (1:46.48) just missing out as the third-fastest Brit despite placing 12th. Guy was the second-fastest qualifier this morning, just 0.02 seconds off his season best of 1:45.38.
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