The opening night of swimming at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris brought high thrills and key records. A huge crowd filled the Olympic Aquatic Arena to watch top stars race for gold. Fans cheered loudly as swimmers set three new meet records on day one. The home fans had much to celebrate as France won its first medal of the meet.
Leon Marchand led the way for France in the men’s relay event. He could not race in the earlier medley event due to a hip injury. Yet he swam a fast first leg to put his team in front. Marchand swam his leg in 1:43.76 to set a strong tone. His great speed made him the sixth fastest performer in history for that distance. He said he felt sharp and ready for his next races in Paris.
The team from Great Britain won gold in the men’s relay with a fast time of 7:01.52. Duncan Scott swam the final leg to lock in the big win for his team. That win set a new meet record for the British group. France took the silver medal with a national record time of 7:02.23. Anchor swimmer Roman Fuchs passed the German swimmer in the final stretch to secure second place. Germany earned the bronze medal close behind in third place.
British relay team member Matt Richards was happy with the win on night one. He said the team did a solid job and executed their plan well. Duncan Scott noted that Great Britain had not won this European title since 2018. He added that racing in front of a big crowd was a great test. Swimmer Jack McMillan said the team aimed for gold and achieved its primary goal. James Guy agreed that it was a very positive start for their squad.
The British women also had a great night in the pool. They won gold in their relay race from start to finish. Freya Anderson anchored the team to a new meet record of 7:45.93. Hungary earned the silver medal in that race. The team from Hungary edged out third place by a tiny fraction of a second.
Freya Colbert led off the women’s relay for Great Britain. She said the group knew a fast time was coming. Abbie Wood added that the gold medal was a big relief for the group. She noted that all four swimmers hit peak form on the exact same day. Freya Anderson noted that putting down such a strong swim felt amazing after a tough stretch.
The very first final of the night also brought a historic swim in Paris. Ilia Borodin won gold in the men’s 400m individual medley. He set a new meet record of 4:08.17 to take the title. His winning time broke an old record that had stood for seventeen years. Borodin swam a strong breaststroke leg to take control of the race late.
Alberto Razzetti of Italy took the silver medal behind Borodin. Max Litchfield of Great Britain earned the bronze medal in third place. Defending champion Apostolos Papastamos finished in sixth place overall. Borodin said he worked hard to win back his crown after his victory in 2021. He felt proud of his speed and performance in the pool.
Fans in Paris enjoyed a thrilling night of swimming from start to finish. Athletes set new records and showed world class speed in front of a full house. The high energy in the arena set a great tone for the rest of the week. Coaches and swimmers look forward to more top races in the days ahead.
