PARIS: German teenager Johannes Liebmann smashed the 1,500m freestyle world record at the European championships while French four-time Olympic gold medallist Leon Marchand won the 200m butterfly final on Saturday to claim his first continental title,

Two years on from his exploits at the Paris Games, Marchand returned to form in the French capital as he put injury woes behind him to claim Euro gold in a world-leading time of 1 minute 51.72 seconds.

The 24-year-old finished a huge 2.34sec ahead of Hungarian Richard Marton, with Greece’s Apostolos Siskos rounding off the podium a further 0.04sec behind.

Marchand’s gold was his country’s first individual title at these championships, but he soon had company in the form of Mary-Ambre Moluh when she won the 100m backstroke.

The 20-year-old’s 57.94sec finish was a European record. Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands and France’s Pauline Mahieu completed the podium.

Liebmann bettered Bobby Finke’s 2024 Olympics world record in the 1,500m freestyle by just shy of four seconds as he won a second gold of the Euros.

The 19-year-old clocked a time of 14min 26.79sec for win, 12.66sec ahead of Hungary’s Zalan Sarkany in silver and German Oliver Klemet in third.

Kasia Wasick of Poland stunned Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom and Italian Sara Curtis by claiming gold in the 50m freestyle in 23.84sec.

Ireland’s Ellen Walshe took gold in the 200m medley with a time of 2min 09.81sec.

Italy’s Anita Gastaldi earned silver with a time of 2min 10.07sec and Belgian Roos Vanotterdijk finished third at 0.29sec.

Gastaldi’s compatriot Nicolo Martinenghi grabbed his second gold of the championships by touching the wall first in the 50m breaststroke.

His second gold this week in Paris brought his career European tally in individual events to four.

Martinenghi’s time of 26.57sec was 0.05 faster than Dutchman Koen de Groot and Italian Simone Cerasuolo.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2026