2026 European Championships: Day 7 Prelims Live Recap ...Middle East

By Sam Blacker on SwimSwam

2026 European Swimming Championships

Day 7 Prelims Start List

Today sees the final prelims session of the 2026 European Championships, featuring just six events. We kick off with the women’s 400 free, where Isabel Gose and Simona Quadarella match up for the third time this week.

The Italian swimmer has come out on top in both the 800 free and 1500 free, but Gose is the top seed here in 4:02.90 to Quadarella’s 4:03.44. Maya Werner (4:06.08) and 200 free bronze medalist Freya Colbert (4:06.16) will also aim to progress into tonight’s final, as will European junior champion Kseniia Misharina (4:07.52)

The heats of the men’s 400 free look to be brutal, with four German swimmers likely to lead the way as they battle for two spots in the final. Lukas Martens (3:40.61) is the world record holder and Oliver Klemet (3:43.14) is the #2 seed, but 19-year-old Johannes Liebmann (3:44.59) shattered the 1500 free world record last night and is unbeaten so far at this meet.

Leon Marchand (3:44.70) is also in action, swimming his second individual event of the meet after winning the 200 fly last night in 1:51.72. James Guy (3:44.04) is also a threat after winning bronze in the 200 free, and Zalan Sarkany (3:46.82) is two for two on Hungarian records so far this week.

The women’s medley relay should see some great battles, with Great Britain hoping for a central lane tonight after some reasonably strong performances in the stroke 100s. The Netherlands won’t swim Marrit Steenbergen this morning but have a strong quartet, while Neutral Athletes B were the top European nations at the World Championships last summer.

Italy will be swimming as one of just three teams in the men’s medley relay, and will be hoping to avoid the fate that befell the men’s 4×100 free team, which missed the final. Neutral Athletes B are defending world champions, but looked vulnerable in the mixed medley relay and potential backstroke leg Kliment Kolesnikov missed the 100 backstroke semi-finals.

Great Britain could be a wildcard, and France will have tremendous home backing having won bronze at the Paris Olympics two years ago then silver in Singapore last summer. They will not have Leon Marchand on the breaststroke leg, but Carl Aitkaci has proven an able replacement so far this week with a 59.05 split on the title-winning mixe

We wrap things up with the combined classification women’s 50 free and men’s 100 free. Alexander Hillhouse, who won the men’s 100 free last night, is the top seed in the men’s 50, and Defne Kurt is the top seed in the women’s 100 after placing 2nd in the women’s 50, having only missed the S10 world record by 0.03 seconds.

Our final event is an unusual one, as we have a swim-off for first reserve for the women’s 50 breast final. Kotryna Teterevkoca and Ralina Giliazova tied for 9th last night in 30.55, and then tied again in a swim-off at the end of the night in 30.43. We will see if a second swim-off can separate the pair.

Women’s 400m Freestyle Heats

Top 8 Qualifiers:

We saw a tale of two heats here this morning, with the first circle-seeded heat looking a little sleepy and the second, driven by three German swimmers fighting for two spots in the final, being much faster.

The three top seeds all came from that heat, with Maya Werner setting a new lifetime best of 4:05.40 to beat out Isabel Gose (4:06.37) by a second for the heat win. Linda Roth led after the first 50, but faded down the second half of the race to touch in 4:08.42, fourth in the heat but only the third German.

Francisca Soares Martins won bronze two years ago and looked strong again here, clocking a 4:08.01 to come within half a second of her Portuguese record from the World University Games last summer, to progress third-fastest.

Simona Quadarella was the fastest swimmer in the first of the circle-seeded heats, clocking a 4:08.07 to progress fourth-fastest. Kseniia Misharina was also under 4:10 behind her, as the European junior champion moved through the field on the second half of the race. Sarah Dumont and Artmis Vasilaki, who was a second off her Greek record, also progressed.

Barbara Seemanova made things a little dicey, as the 200 free champion progressed eighth into tonight’s final by just 0.03 seconds in 4:12.05. She won silver two years ago in 4:06.72, but has a lifetime best of 4:03.41. Nordic pair Bea Hovda (4:12.08) and Thilda Haell (4:12.09) were hundredths away from ousting her.

Freya Colbert, the #4 seed in 4:06.16 and 200 free bronze medalist, scratched after winning gold on Great Britain’s mixed 4×200 free relay last night.

Men’s 400m Freestyle Heats

Top 8 Qualifiers:

Women’s 4x100m Medley Heats

Top 8 Teams:

Men’s 4x100m Medley Heats

Top 8 Teams:

Women’s 100m Freestyle (Combined Class) Heats

Top 8 Qualifiers:

Men’s 50m Freestyle (Combined Class) Heats

Top 8 Qualifiers:

Women’s 50m Breaststroke — Swim-Off

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2026 European Championships: Day 7 Prelims Live Recap

Hence then, the article about 2026 european championships day 7 prelims live recap was published today ( Sunday 16/08/2026 - 11:32 AM ) 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 Championships: Day 7 Prelims Live Recap )

Also on site :

• 2026 Pan Pacific Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap
• Relay success takes Amy Hunt within one of four-gold target
• Kate Douglass Smashes Own World Record With 23.19 50 Freestyle