Ramsay-Peaty out of medals as Italy's Martinenghi wins European gold

In Paris, Italian swimmer Nicolo Martinenghi clinched the gold medal in the men's 100m breaststroke final, overpowering his competitors with a time of 58.58 seconds. This victory added to Martinenghi's impressive career, including his Olympic gold medal from two years prior in Paris. Russian Ivan Kozhakin secured the silver, just 0.10 seconds behind Martinenghi, while Simone Cerasuolo claimed bronze with a time of 58.90 seconds.

British swimmer Adam Ramsay-Peaty, a 16-time European champion and three-time world record holder, could only manage fifth place in the same event with a time of 59.10 seconds. This performance marked a slight improvement from his bronze medal at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he posted a time of 59.65 seconds. Despite the disappointment, Ramsay-Peaty's time represented a positive step forward in his career.

However, there was reason for celebration for British swimmers in the women's 200m backstroke final. Katie Shanahan emerged victorious, outpacing Portugal's Camila Rodrigues Rebelo by a margin of 1.49 seconds. Other British swimmers also found success: Mary-Ambre Moluh, Carl Aitkaci, Maxime Grousset, and Marie Wattel claimed gold for the host nation in the mixed 4x100m relay.

Simona Quadarella, a former world champion, added another European gold to her collection with a ninth title, though it was her first since 2022 in the women's 800m freestyle.

The Netherlands showcased their swimming prowess in the women's 100m freestyle final, securing a one-two finish with world-record holder Marrit Steenbergen claiming gold and her compatriot Milou van Wijk taking silver. Russian Egor Kornev emerged triumphant in the men's 50m butterfly final, adding to his medal haul in Paris.