The first Belgian to win the European 100m butterfly title, Roos Vanotterdijk doubled down with a 56.08 victory in Paris this evening to become the first from her nation to retain the crown.

Out in 26.97, triumph was tangible for Vanotterdijk. A lap later, she stopped the clock ahead of Germany's Angelina Köhler, on 56.39, the bronze to Daria Klepikova in 56.76.

Vanotterdijk, Belgium's Singapore 2025 World-championships podium placer, silver medallist behind American World record holder Gretchen Walsh, had given warning in semis yesterday when she matched Sarah Sjöström's championship record from 2016 at 55.89.

Vanotterdijk was here in Paris two years ago taking 10th place finishes in the Olympic 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly semi-finals.

Last year, she stepped up to three golds and two silvers at the European Aquatics U23 Championships before making her big breakthrough with silver and bronze in the 100m butterfly and 50m butterfly respectively at Singapore 2025 World titles.

She's spoke of how hard she found the mental side of transition from junior to senior in the pool. The body, you can train to get stronger, leaner, fitter, but the mindset is a trickier prospect, she suggested. Learning to relax and trying to enjoy race day and "the process" had been a new skill set, one that helped her win the continental 'fly crowns in 2024 - and keep it this evening.

Although the GDR still tops the all-time medals table from a time of systematic doping on steroids, Germany thirst yet for a gold in the European 100 'fly final since the start of a new era in 1991. Köhler was just 0.31 shy here back in the French capital where in 2024 she finished fourth in the Olympic final a touch adrift a podium that include one of the China-23-go-free swimmers caught up in the scandal of 28 positive tests out down in China to contamination, a conclusion accepted by international authorities in anti-doping and aquatics on the basis of much that came down to trust not hard evidence and uncontested science-based fact.

The history file below...

In other finals on day 5:

Popovici The Pioneer Of The Euro 100-200 Double Treble

Slower with each passing edition, and yet faster three times than anyone else has ever swum in European Championship waters; Popovici’s history book fattens to make room for a double-treble, the 1st in European 100-200 free history

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Quadarella’s Next Quad & 10th Career Gold In The Pantheon

Simona Quadarella set a few records in one swim, including a 10-gold-medal haul ...“when I think about it, it’s quite something.” ... and Marrit Steenbergen splits a riotous 50.79 anchoring the Dutch mixed free relay to silver behind neutrals

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Chikunova Claws On The Courage Of Evans For Gold

“There’s no losing tonight. Either I gain more experience or I gain a medal. I ended up gaining both. So, that was probably the most painful race I’ve done. Going out of 1:06.5 isn’t easy at all, but, the brave are usually favoured.” - Angharad Evans

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Knedla Banks The First Czech Gold & Any Medal Since T0he 50 Back Was Born in 1999

The backstroke dash had known victories by just 0.01sec before, but a whole podium, split by 0.03 and a top four by 0.04 is unprecedented.

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord