Angharad Evans claimed the European title in the women’s 100m breaststroke in Paris, producing another outstanding performance as the British swimmer once again lowered her own national record. After impressing in the heats and then taking another step forward in the semi-finals, Evans confirmed her status as the clear favourite and secured a fourth gold medal for the United Kingdom at these European Championships. Following the two British victories in the men’s and women’s 4x200m freestyle relays and Katie Shanahan’s triumph in the 200m backstroke, British female swimmers have continued to account for a significant proportion of the United Kingdom’s success in the opening days of the competition.
Angharad Evans delivers in the final with another British record
Angharad Evans arrived in Paris as the leading European and world performer in the 100m breaststroke. The British swimmer had clocked 1:04.96 at the British Championships in April, a time which stood as the fastest in the world this year and gave her a significant advantage over the rest of the field before the European Championships began.
That position was reinforced from the opening morning of competition. Evans produced the fastest time in the heats, stopping the clock at 1:05.45 and becoming one of only two swimmers to break the 1:06 barrier during the first session. More importantly, the performance saw the British swimmer break the European Championships record. She lowered the previous mark of 1:05.53, set in 2018, by eight hundredths of a second.
Evans already held a sizeable advantage over her closest challengers, including Mona McSharry, but there was little indication that the British swimmer intended to settle for her heats performance. The semi-finals provided another significant statement. Evans was the only swimmer to break 1:05, winning her semi-final in 1:04.97 and setting another new European Championships record. The gap behind her was equally telling. McSharry produced the second-fastest semi-final time in 1:05.64, leaving Evans with an advantage of 67 hundredths of a second over her nearest challenger. The British swimmer had therefore established herself as the clear benchmark heading into the final, while the remaining contenders were separated by relatively small margins behind her.
Evans’ season form strengthened that position further. Her 1:04.96 from the British Championships remained the fastest performance in the world this year, and the British swimmer entered the final with a significant cushion over the rest of the field. With Evans also established as a 200m breaststroke specialist, her performances in the shorter event were particularly encouraging ahead of the longer distance later in the programme.
During the final, as has become something of a feature of her racing, the British swimmer adopted a measured approach over the opening 50 metres rather than attempting to establish an early lead. She reached the first turn in fourth position, 74 hundredths of a second behind the leader. The deficit was nevertheless well within Evans’ race plan. Rather than attempting to force the pace early, she remained composed and began to close the gap during the second half of the race. Length by length, the British swimmer moved through the field as her superior closing speed began to make the difference.
With 15 metres remaining, Evans finally moved into the lead. From there, the British swimmer held her form through the final strokes and touched the wall in 1:04.87 to secure the European title. The time was another major improvement and, crucially, established a new British record in the event. Evans lowered her previous national record by nine hundredths of a second, despite already owning the mark herself. She also improved on the fastest time in the world this year, moving beyond the 1:04.96 she had recorded at the British Championships in April. Her semi-final performance had already given her the European Championships record, but the final produced another improvement to that standard.
The British swimmer finished ahead of Mona McSharry, who took silver in 1:05.41, while Benedetta Pilato completed the podium in 1:05.89. Yuliya Efimova finished fourth in 1:05.94, also breaking the 1:06 barrier. For the United Kingdom, Evans’ victory represents the fourth gold medal since the swimming programme began in Paris. British swimmers had already claimed both 4x200m freestyle relay titles before Katie Shanahan added the 200m backstroke crown, and Evans has now extended that run of success.
The performance also strengthens Evans’ position ahead of the 200m breaststroke. As a swimmer capable of competing at the highest level across both breaststroke distances, her dominance over 100m provides a strong indication of what may follow when she returns to the pool for the longer event.
