The 2026 European Championships men's 4x100m medley relay final was a thrilling showcase of swimming prowess, with a few surprises and some impressive performances. The race began with Kliment Kolesnikov of Russia (NAB) leading the field with a strong backstroke leg, finishing in 24.68. However, he faded in the butterfly leg, allowing Ollie Morgan of Great Britain to take the lead with a swift 52.61. This was a significant improvement on his previous swim, and he touched 0.11 seconds ahead of Thomas Ceccon, the individual silver medalist.
Ceccon, swimming for Italy, had a strong start in the backstroke, finishing in 52.28. However, he couldn't maintain that pace, finishing four tenths slower in the final. Yohann Ndoye-Brouard of France, who was three tenths slower than his individual time, couldn't close the gap either, finishing in 53.05.
The breaststroke leg saw Adam Ramsay-Peaty and Nicolo Martinenghi almost neck-and-neck at the 50-meter mark. Martinenghi, swimming for Italy, pulled away in the final 25 meters, finishing in 58.00, six tenths faster than his previous swim. Ramsay-Peaty, representing Great Britain, split 58.56, his fastest of the season.
Ivan Kozhakin of Russia (NAB) split 58.48, just 0.20 seconds faster than his previous swim, and 0.07 seconds faster than Kirill Prigoda's morning split. Melvin Imoudu of Germany finished in 58.76, shaving 0.05 seconds off his morning time.
The butterfly leg was a highlight, with Noe Ponti of Switzerland splitting 49.40, the sixth-fastest split in history. This helped Switzerland move up from 8th to 6th place. Leon Marchand of France, swimming this leg for the first time since 2022, finished in 49.64, becoming the fifth-fastest performer in history. His split was 0.06 seconds faster than his 100-meter freestyle personal best.
Andrei Minakov of Russia (NAB) split 50.34, just 0.17 seconds slower than his World Championship time. Ed Mildred of Great Britain split 50.56, his first sub-51 split this morning, and sliced a quarter of a second off that time. Alberto Razzetti of Italy finished in 51.13, four tenths faster than his semi-final time.
The freestyle leg saw Egor Kornev of Russia (NAB) blast out in 21.86, but he faded towards the finish, finishing in 46.85. Maxime Grousset of France, swimming the anchor leg, finished in 46.91, his first sub-47 split. This lineup decision by the French coaches seems to have been a smart one, with Carl Aitkaci holding down the breaststroke leg.
Grousset overhauled Great Britain's Matt Richards, who finished in 47.38. Carlos D'Ambrosio of Italy finished in 47.01, his fastest split ever. Luca Hoek Le Guenedal of Spain saved his best for last, finishing in 46.85, four tenths faster than his national record. Oliver Sogaard-Andersen of Denmark finished in 48.07, half a second under his Danish record.
In conclusion, the men's 4x100m medley relay final was a thrilling display of swimming talent and strategy. The Russian team (NAB) took the gold medal with a time of 3:28.67, followed by Italy and France. This race showcased the importance of strategic lineup decisions and the ability to adapt and improve throughout the event. It also highlighted the depth of talent in the field, with several swimmers setting personal bests and national records.
