The final of the women’s 200m breaststroke at the 2026 European Championships saw Russian swimmer Evgeniia Chikunova break the longstanding meet record en route to gold.
Competing as a neutral athlete here in Paris, 21-year-old Chikunova powered her way to the wall in a speedy result of 2:19.32. That represented the sole outing of the field to dip under the 2:20 barrier.
British national record holder and 100m breaststroke gold medalist at this competition, Angharad Evans of Great Britain, settled for silver nearly two seconds behind in 2:21.21. Irish Olympic medalist Mona McSharry rounded out this evening’s podium in 2:22.43.
As for Chikunova, her lifetime best checks in also as the World Record, a time of 2:17.55 she produced three years ago. Entering this competition, her season-best rested at the 2:21.48 notched this past April, so she wreaked havoc on that prior result as the gold medalist.
The former Championship record stood since 2014 when Rikke Moller Pedersen of Denmark clocked 2:19.84.
This is Chikunova’s first individual Long Course Euros title after having nabbed World Championships silver last year in Singapore.
Women’s 200 Breaststroke — Final
World Record: 2:17.55 – Evgeniia Chikunova(RUS), 2023
European Record: 2:17.55 – Evgeniia Chikunova(RUS), 2023
Championship Record: 2:19.84 – Rikke Moller Pedersen (DEN), 2014
2025 World Champion: 2:18.50 – Kate Douglass (USA)
2022 European Champion: 2:23.27 – Lisa Mamie (SUI)
Top 8 Finishers
Evgeniia Chikunova (NAB) — 2:19.32 **New Championship Record
Angharad Evans (GBR) — 2:21.21
Mona McSharry (IRL) — 2:22.43
Tes Schouten (NED) — 2:22.67
Anna Elendt (GER) — 2:23.81
Kotryna Teterevkova (LTU) — 2:23.92
Alina Zmushka (NAA) — 2:25.24
Ellie McCartney (IRL) — 2:26.93