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2026 European Swimming Championships - August 10-16, 2026 - Paris, France – Olympic Aquatics Centre - LCM (50 Meters) - Meet Information - Meet Central - Entries - Results - Live Results - SwimSwam Preview Index - Live Stream - Recaps: We entered the 7th and final day of action at the 2026 European Championships, and tonight’s finals session has already brought the heat, with multiple records going down early in the night’s competition. In the women’s 50m breaststroke, we saw reigning World Record holder Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania secure the gold in 29.93, followed by Benedetta Pilato of Italy, who touched merely a hair behind in 29.94 to settle for silver. On the bronze tier of the podium, however, was former University of Tennessee standout Mona McSharry, with the Irish ace notching a new national record of 29.95. Entering this competition, no Irish woman had ever broken the 30-second barrier in this event. 25-year-old Olympic medalist McSharry’s previous lifetime best and Irish national record checked in at the 30.29 put on the books at the 2023 Irish Championshps. Flash forward to tonight, however, and McSharry made history to end her championships on a major high note. This pairs well with her bronze-medal-worthy result in the women’s 100m breaststroke earlier in the competition. Women’s 50m Breaststroke — Final - World Record: 29.16 – Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania (2023) - European Record: 29.16 – Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania (2023) - Championships Record: 29.30 – Benedetta Pilato, Italy (2021) - 2025 World Champion: Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania — 29.55 - 2022 European Champion: Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania — 29.59 Final: - Ruta Meilutyte (Lithuania) — 29.93 - Benedetta Pilato (Italy) — 29.94 - Mona McSharry (Ireland) — 29.95 - Eneli Jefimova (Estonia) — 30.00 - Anna Elendt (Germany) — 30.35 - Veera Kivirinta (Finland) — 30.41 - Florine Gaspard (Belgium) — 30.74 - Maria Ramos Najji (Spain) — 30.95 However, McSharry’s performance wasn’t the only record-breaking swim on the evening for the nation of Ireland. Racing in the final of the women’s 200m butterfly, 24-year-old Ellen Walshe stopped the clock at a speedy time of 2:07.40 to lower her own former PB and Irish benchmark in the event. Walshe split 29.42/32.38 (1:01.80)/33.03/32.57 to register a result of 2:07.40, falling just .19 shy of the podium. It was British ace Keanna MacInnes who earned the gold, ripping a mark of 2:05.90 with Danish swimmer Helena Rosendahl-Bach not terribly far behind in 2:06.14 for the silver. Spaniard Laura Cabanes rounded out the podium in 2:07.21. Walshe’s lifetime best and Irish record entering this competition rested at the 2:07.48 turned in during the semi-finals of the event at the 2025 World Championships. There in Singapore, the former University of Tennessee swimmer ultimately finished in 8th place with a slower outing of 2:08.34. Walshe has had a successful European Championshps here in Paris, having come away with the gold in both the women’s 200m IM and 400m IM races. Women’s 200m Butterfly — Final - World Record: 2:01.65 – Summer McIntosh, Canada (2026) - European Record: 2:04.27 – Katinka Hosszu, Hungary (2009) - Championship Record: 2:04.79 – Mireia Belmonte, Spain (2014) - 2025 World Champion: Summer McIntosh, Canada — 2:01.99 - 2024 European Champion: Helena Rosendahl Bach, Denmark — 2:07.88 Final: - Keanna Macinnes (Great Britain) — 2:05.90 - Helena Rosendahl Bach (Denmark) — 2:06.14 - Laura Cabanes Garzas (Spain) — 2:07.21 - Ellen Walshe (Ireland) — 2:07.40 - Emily Richards (Great Britain) — 2:07.77 - Paola Borrelli (Italy) — 2:08.23 - Lana Pudar (Bosnia & Herzegovina) — 2:11.14 - Sarah Dumont (Belgium) — 2:11.18