Gose takes third silver at swimming EM as Quadarella strikes again on final lap

Gose takes third silver behind Quadarella

Isabel Gose secured her fifth medal at the European Swimming Championships in Paris on the final day of competition, finishing second in the 400m freestyle final in 4:02.41 minutes. The 24-year-old Olympic bronze medalist from the 2024 Games over 1500m freestyle led the race heading into the final lap, swimming at the front of a trio alongside Werner and Quadarella. On the final length, the Italian (27) pulled past Gose to win gold in 4:01.34, a margin of 1.07 seconds. Gose's training partner Maya Werner (21) took bronze in a personal best of 4:03.73, 2.39 seconds behind the winner. The result produced the same podium order as the 800m and 1500m freestyle events: Quadarella ahead of Gose ahead of Werner in all three.

Gose had already won two golds in open water events in the Seine, triumphing in the knockout sprint and the mixed relay. She also took silver in both the 800m and 1500m freestyle, both times behind Quadarella. Her 400m time of 4:02.41 came close to her own German record of 4:02.14 set in 2024. She had won the European title over this distance in 2022 in Rome, her first international title.

"It really scratches the ego"

Gose expressed frustration at losing gold for a third time to the same opponent. In an interview with ARD, she acknowledged her overall haul before addressing the sting of another silver.

Five events, five medals, I really can't complain.

She then added about the third defeat to Quadarella:

It really scratches the ego, I have to say.

The 24-year-old also said the third loss "really hurts." With five podium finishes, Gose became the first German swimmer in 20 years to stand on the podium five times at a single European Championship. Double Olympic champion and double world champion Britta Steffen last achieved the feat in 2006 in Budapest with five medals. Werner, 21, leaves Paris with three bronze medals from the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle events.

Märtens fights back for bronze

Olympic champion and world record holder Lukas Märtens (24) won bronze in the men's 400m freestyle at the Centre Aquatique Olympique, finishing in 3:44.57. He trailed in fifth place before catapulting himself to third on the final 50 meters with a strong finishing sprint. France's Léon Marchand took gold in 3:43.14, with Hungary's Oliver Papai second in 3:44.46. Germany's Oliver Klemet, who had entered the final as the fastest qualifier from the heats, finished fifth in 3:45.16 and came away without a medal.

Märtens had barely qualified for the final, advancing as eighth in the morning heats with 3:46.33. The bronze was his third medal of the championships and first individual medal, adding to silver in the mixed 4x200m freestyle relay and bronze in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay. He had won gold over 400m in Rome in 2022.

Other results

Klemet, who had won bronze in the 1500m freestyle on Saturday in Johannes Liebmann's world record race, missed a second pool medal. He also takes gold and bronze from the open water events in the Seine. 100m world champion Anna Elendt finished fifth in the 50m breaststroke in 30.35 seconds, missing the podium.