German teenager Johannes Liebmann set a men’s 1,500-meter freestyle world record at the European Championships in Paris, completing the race in 14 minutes 26.79 seconds. The 19-year-old lowered the previous global mark, established by American Bobby Finke at the 2024 Olympics, by just under four seconds.

Liebmann won the final by a wide margin. Hungary’s Zalan Sarkany took silver 12.66 seconds behind the champion, while another German, Oliver Klemet, finished third. It was Liebmann’s second gold medal of the championships after he won the 800-meter freestyle earlier in the week with a European-record performance.

The distance record was one of several notable results during the Saturday program. French swimmer Leon Marchand captured his first European title by winning the 200-meter butterfly in a world-leading 1:51.72. The four-time Olympic champion finished 2.34 seconds ahead of Hungary’s Richard Marton. Greece’s Apostolos Siskos secured bronze, another 0.04 seconds back.

Marchand was competing on a reduced schedule after suffering a thigh injury at the French national championships in June. He said the home atmosphere stood out and described his final 50 meters as especially strong, while acknowledging that his opening pace might have been faster. The Paris swim marked a return to form two years after his Olympic success in the same city. He had already earned silver with France in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay and was due to race the 400-meter freestyle on Sunday. His butterfly victory delivered France’s first individual gold of the meet.

Mary-Ambre Moluh soon added another for the host nation. The 20-year-old won the women’s 100-meter backstroke in 57.94 seconds, a new European record. Dutch swimmer Marrit Steenbergen placed second, and France’s Pauline Mahieu completed the podium.

In the women’s 50-meter freestyle, Poland’s Kasia Wasick won in 23.84 seconds, beating Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom by 0.02 seconds. The silver was the 30th European Championships medal of Sjostrom’s career. Italy’s Sara Curtis took bronze and moved to five medals in Paris after twice breaking the 50-meter backstroke world record during the championships.

Ireland’s Ellen Walshe won the 200-meter individual medley in 2:09.81, following her victory in the 400-meter medley a day earlier. Italy’s Anita Gastaldi was second in 2:10.07, with Belgium’s Roos Vanotterdijk third, 0.29 seconds behind Gastaldi.

Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi also collected his second title of the meet, winning the men’s 50-meter breaststroke in 26.57 seconds. He finished 0.05 seconds ahead of Dutch swimmer Koen de Groot and Italian teammate Simone Cerasuolo. Against a program featuring multiple continental records and established Olympic champions, Liebmann’s 1,500-meter performance supplied the day’s world mark and confirmed his sweep of the meet’s two longest men’s freestyle events.