2026 European Swimming Championships
The only scratches from Day 4 finals at the 2026 European Championships come in the women’s 100 butterfly, where two of the 16 semi-final qualifier from this morning’s prelims have opted out.
Barbora Seemanova, who set a new Czech Record of 57.43 in the prelims to advance 3rd overall into the semis, has dropped the event to avoid a scheduling conflict with the 200 free.
The women’s 200 free final, where Seemanova is coming in as the top seed and defending champion is scheduled approximately 45 minutes after the semis of the 100 fly.
Seemanova’s swim this morning improved on her previous PB and Czech Record of 57.50 in the 100 fly, set at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Also scratching out of the women’s 100 fly semis was Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Lana Pudar, who was 13th-fastest this morning in 58.45.
Pudar, who was 36th in the 50 fly earlier in the meet, only has one entry remaining in the 200 fly, which kicks off on Saturday.
With Seemanova and Pudar out, Sweden’s Felicia Klintemar (58.83) and Great Britain’s Emily Richards (58.88), who were 17th and 18th overall in the prelims, get bumped up into the semis.
FULL SESSION SCHEDULE (+TIMELINE)
18:30 — Men’s 100m Butterfly Final
18:36 — Women’s 50m Backstroke Final
18:41 — Men’s 200m Freestyle Semifinals
18:51 — Women’s 100m Butterfly Semifinals
19:00 — Men’s 50m Backstroke Semifinals
19:07 — Women’s 200m Breaststroke Semifinals
19:29 — Men’s 200m Breaststroke Final
19:36 — Women’s 200m Freestyle Final
19:43 — Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Final
Among the finals to watch tonight, the men’s 100 fly promises to be one of the most exciting races of the meet with home crowd favorite Maxime Grousset going head-to-head with Noe Ponti, Kristof Milak and Hubert Kos, all of whom have shown good form so far in Paris.
In the women’s 50 back, all eyes will be on Sara Curtis after her world record performance in last night’s semis in a time of 26.63, while the men’s 200 breast is anyone’s game with the top six qualifiers separated by less than eight-tenths in the semis. Great Britain’s Filip Nowacki holds Lane 4 and is the fastest swimmer in the field this season at 2:07.87.
In the women’s 200 free, Seemanova will vie to defend her title, though Marrit Steenbergen has been on fire all year and Freya Colbert is the top European this season with her 1:54.34 British Record from April.
The night will close with the men’s 4×100 free relay, which won’t feature the Italians after they shockingly missed the final. The Russian Neutral Athletes B team and Great Britain are the favorites going in, though Hungary could be dangerous if they opt to put Milak and Kos into the final.
We’ll also see semis tonight in the men’s 200 free, women’s 100 fly, men’s 50 back and women’s 200 breast.