2026 European Swimming Championships
Men’s 400m Freestyle — Final
Final:
- Leon Marchand (France) — 3:43.14
- Oliver Papai (Hungary) — 3:44.46
- Lukas Märtens (Germany) — 3:44.57
- Lucas Henveaux (Belgium) — 3:44.64
- Oliver Klemet (Germany) — 3:45.16
- Zalan Sarkany (Hungary) — 3:46.99
- Victor Johansson (Sweden) — 3:47.19
- Petar Mitsin (Bulgaria) — 3:47.42
Oliver Papai set a new Hungarian record of 3:44.46 in the men’s 400 free tonight, slicing nearly a second off Kristof Rasovszky‘s mark of 3:45.32 that he tied this morning.
The 16-year-old qualified for the final out of the non-circle-seeded heats, having been seeded 24th in 3:47.82. He swam that at the Hungarian Championships earlier this year, and was just off it with a 3:47.88 to win silver at the European Junior Championships last month.
He was just off the European Junior record of 3:44.31, owned by Bulgaria’s Petar Mitsin who finished 8th tonight. He set that mark at the 2023 World Junior Championships.
Split Comparison
| New Hungarian Record (Oliver Papai), 2026 European Championships Final – 3:44.46 | Previous Hungarian Record (Kristof Razovszky), 2025 Hungarian National Championships – 3:45.32 | Previous Hungarian Record (Oliver Papai), 2026 European Championships Heats – 3:45.32 | |
| 100 | 54.44 | 54.97 | 54.62 |
| 200 | 1:51.97 (57.53) | 1:52.31 (57.34) | 1:51.95 (57.33) |
| 300 | 2:49.27 (57.30) | 2:49.13 (56.82) | 2:49.09 (57.14) |
| 400 | 3:44.46 (55.19) | 3:45.32 (56.19) | 3:45.32 (56.23) |
Papai was out in almost identical fashion to his swim this morning, turning two tenths down with 100 to go. However, he then had the fastest final 100 in the field at 55.19, moving from 6th to 4th on the penultimate length and then to 2nd on the final 50.
Papai won gold at the Hungarian Short Course Championships in 2024, clocking a time of 3:45.16 at just 14 years old. He then posted a 2:52.96 in long course just one month later, but suffered illness through the spring and only finished 31st at the World Junior Championships and 22nd at the European Junior Championships last summer.
He now establishes himself as a final threat at the world level, and beat several established names here including his senior teammate Zalan Sarkany and world record holder Lukas Martens.
Papai moves up four spots on the all-time junior rankings to #6, and becomes the second-fastest 16-year-old in history after Ian Thorpe (3:41.53).
Men’s 400 Freestyle, All-Time Junior Top Ten
- Ian Thorpe (AUS), 2001 – 3:40.59 (18 years old)
- Zhanshuo Zhang (CHN), 2025 – 3:42.82 (18 years old)
- Luka Mijatovic (USA), 2026 – 3:43.45 (17 years old)
- Park Tae Hwan (KOR), 2007 – 3:44.30 (17 years old)
- Petar Mitsin (BUL), 2023 – 3:44.31 (17 years old)
- Oliver Papai (HUN), 2026 – 3:44.46 (16 years old)
- Grigorii Vekovishchev (RUS), 2026 – 3:44.58 (18 years old)
- Mack Horton (AUS), 2014 – 3:44.60 (17 years old)
- Yun Hao (CHN), 2013 – 3:44.87 (18 years old)
- Grant Hackett (AUS), 1998 – 3:44.88 (18 years old)
He now ranks 11th in the world this season, and is the 5th-fastest European on the list.
| 2 | Zhang Zhanshuo |
CHN | 3:41.55 | 03/21 |
| 3 | Lukas Märtens |
GER | 3:41.76 | 04/23 |
| 4 | Leon MARCHAND |
FRA | 3:43.14 | 08/16 |
| 4 | Oliver Klemet |
GER | 3:43.14 | 04/09 |
| 6 | Aaron SHACKELL |
USA | 3:43.44 | 08/14 |
| 7 | Luka Mijatovic |
USA | 3:43.45 | 07/31 |
| 8 | Ryan ERISMAN |
USA | 3:44.03 | 05/24 |
| 9 | James GUY |
GBR | 3:44.04 | 04/14 |
| 10 | Elijah Winnington |
AUS | 3:44.17 | 06/08 |
| 11 | Oliver PAPAI |
HUN | 3:44.46 | 08/16 |
| 12 | Johannes Liebmann |
GER | 3:44.59 | 04/09 |