The French swimming delegation claimed its first gold medal of the European Aquatics Championships on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, in Saint-Denis, surging to victory in the mixed 4×100-meter medley relay with a time of 3 minutes and 39.64 seconds, according to reports from TF1 Info.
A Calculated Strategy Propels the French Relay
The winning quartet of Mary-Ambre Moluh, Carl Aitkaci, Maxime Grousset, and Marie Wattel executed a tactical race plan that ultimately outpaced the field at the venue in Saint-Denis. According to CNews, the victory delivered the host nation its inaugural gold of the competition and marked the fourth overall medal for the French delegation by the end of the second day of competition.
Twenty-year-old Mary-Ambre Moluh opened the final for France by setting a new French record in the 100-meter backstroke. Facing a wave of predominantly male competitors swimming the opening backstroke leg against her, Moluh kept the team within striking distance despite surrendering ground to the early leaders, as detailed by TF1 Info.
Mid-Race Surge and Podium Finishes
Following the backstroke leg, breaststroker Carl Aitkaci dove in to narrow the deficit against the leading nations. That effort set the stage for Maxime Grousset. Fresh off a silver medal in the 50-meter butterfly earlier in the evening, Grousset delivered what CNews described as a supersonic leg, powering past competitors to hand over the lead to the anchor swimmer.
Entering the water with the lead, 29-year-old Marie Wattel maintained her composure during the freestyle anchor leg. Wattel held off the challenge of the Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen—who had previously proved dominant in the individual 100-meter freestyle—to secure the victory, according to CNews.
The French team touched the wall in 3:39.64, finishing more than a second ahead of the silver-medalist Netherlands squad, which recorded a time of 3:40.92. Neutral athletes representing Russia rounded out the podium in third place with a time of 3:41.52, as reported by TF1 Info.
Building Momentum in Saint-Denis
The gold medal follows a silver-medal performance on Monday by the men’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay, a race spearheaded by Léon Marchand. With four total medals secured across the opening two days of the European Championships, the French delegation prepares for upcoming preliminary and final sessions as the meet continues in Saint-Denis.
