2026 European Championships: Day 7 Relay Analysis – Women’s 4×100 Medley ...Middle East

By Sam Blacker on SwimSwam

2026 European Swimming Championships

Women’s 4x100m Medley — Final

Final: 

Backstroke

Sara Curtis sliced another three tenths of a second off the Italian record in the 100 back here, clocking a 58.43 which makes her the sixth-fastest swimmer in European history. She beat out individual gold medalist and European record holder Mary-Ambre Moluh of France, who was seven tenths of a second slower than the 57.94 she swam to win the 100 back yesterday, and six tenths slower than her 57.99 from the mixed medley relay.

Alina Gaifutdinova was just off her best of 59.11 but significantly faster than the 1:00.10 she swam this morning. Lauren Cox chose a great time for her fastest swim of the meet, clocking a 59.67 that was just 0.22 seconds off her lifetime best from earlier this year.

Maaike de Waard was seven tenths of a second slower than her lifetime best of 59.40 from Dutch Trials in July, and just off the 59.96 she swam in the individual semi-finals two days ago for 9th. Irene Ciercoles Galve was half a second off the 59.77 she swam in those same semi-finals, which was her first swim under 1:00.

Lottie Cullen was three tenths of a second off her lifetime best of 1:00.35, while Lise Seidel lowered her previous best of 1:00.75 despite falling well behind the field off the start.

Breaststroke

We saw three of the fastest splits in history on this leg, with Angharad Evans, Benedetta Pilato, and Mona McSharry all now ranking in the top ten performers in history.

Evans takes top spot on that list, with just the second ever split under 1:04. She was over a second faster than her British record of 1:04.87 and 0.66 seconds faster than her previous best split. She has been phenomenal on relays this season with six splits under 1:05, and is perhaps the biggest gamechanger in Europe on this relay.

Pilato was 1.36 seconds faster than she was individually to win bronze, coming home in 34.66 to split a 1:04.53 that ranks her 6th-fastest in history. She maintained Italy’s lead over Great Britain, keeping Evans half a second behind at halfway.

McSharry was 0.03 seconds slower than her split of 1:04.75 from this morning, and pulled Ireland from 7th to 4th on her leg. She is the only woman to win medals at all three breaststroke distances at this meet after winning 50 breast bronze earlier tonight, and was 0.69 seconds faster than her flat start best and Irish record of 1:05.41.

Evgeniia Chikunova was 1:05.45 for Neutral Athletes B, six tenths under her season best but half a second off her lifetime best of 1:04.92, while 2025 world champion Anna Elendt was only 1:05.83 here after splitting 1:04.90 in Singapore last year.

Alba Vazquez, a former world junior record holder in the 400 IM, clocked 1:07.68 for Spain, 0.35 seconds faster than her flat start best of 1:08.03, while Chloe Braun was two tenths faster than her best of 1:08.31. Marrit Steenbergen, swimming here for the Netherlands with Tes Schouten out, was just 1:08.48, slowest in the field and half a second off her PB.

Butterfly

Neutral Athletes B were some way off the action out in front at halfway, but that was soon resolved thanks to a huge 55.65 split from Daria Klepikova, three tenths faster than her previous best split of 55.95 and 1.73 seconds faster than she had been on the mixed medley relay.

She was over a second faster than the 56.76 she swam for bronze in the individual 100 fly, and closed the gap to the leaders from over a second to just 0.21 seconds over her leg.

Angelina Kohler was 56.26, just off her PB of 56.19 but faster than the 56.39 she swam for silver in the individual final. Marie Wattel had a huge split of 56.65 for France, 1.25 seconds faster than her season best and her fastest split since the 2022 season.

Keanna MacInnes followed up her 200 fly gold with a 56.81 split, four tenths under her British record of 57.25 but three tenths slower than the 56.47 she split on the mixed medley relay.

Anita Gastaldi was 57.07 on her split, nearly a second under her season best of 58.01 and her 58.03 split from this morning. Tessa Giele was 57.48 for the Dutch, a much stronger swim than the 58.29 she split in the heats of the mixed medley relay.

Ellen Walshe was 57.73 for Ireland, putting them well ahead of national record pace with one leg to go, and Laura Cabanes Garzas was 58.71 for Spain after winning bronze in the 200 fly, two tenths off her flat start best.

Freestyle

No one broke 53 seconds on the anchor, but Great Britain, Italy and NAB still showed us a fantastic race on the final leg. Emma Virginia Menicucci extended the lead over Great Britain to half a second with 50 to go, but Freya Colbert had the best closing speed with a 53.27 split, three quarters of a second under her PB of 54.02, to take the win by a tenth of a second.

Menicucci was just under her flat start best of 53.75, while Kira Manokhina had her slowest split of the week after a pair of 53.0s on the mixed medley and mixed free relays. Nina Holt also had her fastest swim of the week for Germany with a 53.41, four tenths under her flat start best of 53.81.

Milou van Wijk had the fastest split in the field for the Netherlands, but couldn’t drag them up any higher than 7th. Losing Schouten seriously hurt them in this relay, although with the pace of the front three the podium may have been too much of a stretch regardless.

Maria Daza Garcia was four tenths under her best of 54.01, while Grace Davison was three tenths faster than her Irish record of 54.45 and just off the 54.12 she split this morning, as Ireland shattered their national record by nearly three seconds in 3:57.26. Beryl Gastaldello was 53.23 for France, her fastest split of the week.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2026 European Championships: Day 7 Relay Analysis – Women’s 4×100 Medley

Hence then, the article about 2026 european championships day 7 relay analysis women s 4 100 medley was published today ( Monday 17/08/2026 - 02:12 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 Relay Analysis – Women’s 4×100 Medley )

Also on site :

• Southampton lose first competitive match after ‘Spygate’ saga as Watford triumph in Championship clash
• 2026 European Championships: Day 7 Finals Relay Lineups – Men’s 4×100 Medley – Marchand On Fly
• 2026 European Championships: Day 7 Finals Live Recap