Olivier and Fontaine win silver and bronze in Paris 3 km knockout race

Paris – 07/08/2026: Marc-Antoine Olivier won the silver medal in the 3 km knockout race at the European Open Water Swimming Championships in Paris. His French teammate Logan Fontaine secured bronze. Hungary’s David Betlehem became European champion, prevailing over the two Frenchmen in the final sprint. Friday’s race on the Seine thus brought the hosts two more podium finishes.

The decision came after several elimination rounds. The competition began with 1,500-metre heats, followed by 1,000-metre semi-finals. The remaining swimmers then contested the 500-metre final. Over this short distance, Betlehem prevailed over Olivier and Fontaine. The order was confirmed following a review of the finish.

For Olivier, the silver medal is another success in front of a home crowd. The 29-year-old has been one of France’s leading open water swimmers for years and has already won several medals at international championships. Fontaine completed the strong result for the French team by finishing third. Both held their own in a field featuring several internationally successful distance swimmers.

Betlehem had already achieved top finishes over the longer open water distances at these European Championships. In the knockout race, the Hungarian Olympic medallist now won his first title of the Paris competitions. Germany’s Florian Wellbrock, who had previously won the ten-kilometre and five-kilometre races, missed the podium this time and finished seventh.

The open water events are being held around the Ile aux Cygnes on the Seine. The knockout format requires a different race strategy from the traditional five- or ten-kilometre events: swimmers must manage their energy across several starts while also being unable to afford any tactical mistakes. In the 500-metre final, there is hardly any time to recover from an unfavourable position.

With silver and bronze, France further extended its medal tally at the home European Championships. On Saturday, 8 August 2026, the mixed relay will follow, also taking place on the Seine. The programme will then shift to pool events at the Olympic Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis.

Olivier and Fontaine thus confirmed the strength of the French open water team. However, Betlehem had the final word in the individual race: after his placings in the longer events, he won the direct sprint against both Frenchmen this time.