Keanna MacInnes is entering the 2026 European Championships as the leading contender in the women’s 200 fly. The Scottish swimmer has already broken her own national record with a time of 2:06.76 at the Commonwealth Games. This puts her ahead of her closest rivals, Paola Borrelli and Helena Rosendahl Bach, by nearly a second. Her performance marks a significant leap in her career. She continues to prove her dominance in the event.
Her time in Glasgow represents a sharp improvement from her previous bests. MacInnes previously struggled to break 2:08 in major international events but has now swum four of her five best times in 2026, all falling between 2:07.10 and 2:06.76. This progression shows a consistent pattern of improvement, with her best efforts coming at the most important competitions. Her ability to add front-end speed, with a 57.33 in the 100 fly, suggests she can maintain her lead through the first half of the race.
Challengers Step Up
Emerging Contenders
Helena Rosendahl Bach and Paola Borrelli are positioned second in the field this season. Both swimmers posted a season-best of 2:07.47 at the Italian and Danish national championships, respectively. Bach is the more experienced of the two, with multiple European podium finishes to her name, including a gold medal in 2024. Her career achievements include a World Championship silver and a European title in the same year, making her a formidable force in the race.
Borrelli, while less decorated, has shown rapid improvement. She won 200 fly bronze at the 2025 World University Games with a time of 2:08.00. This is a nearly full second improvement on her previous best. Her recent drop in time suggests she’s still climbing a performance curve. Unlike MacInnes, who leads with speed in the first half, Borrelli is more of a back-half racer. Her ability to maintain her pace in the second leg of the race will be key to her success.
Rising British Talent
Emily Richards is another name to watch. The British swimmer won World Junior gold in 2017 with a time of 2:07.74. She did not break that mark until 2023. She made her senior Worlds debut that year and has since improved her best to 2:04.62 in short course. This would place her near the top of the field in Paris. This time was recorded at the European Short Course Championships. It shows her potential to perform at a high level in long course as well.
Richards placed 5th at the European Short Course Championships in 2024. This shows that her best is still to come in long course. Her recent time of 2:07.70 at the Aquatics GB Championships suggests she's building toward a strong showing in 2026. Richards' career trajectory has been steady. She is one of the few swimmers in the field who has consistently improved her times over the past few years. This could pay off in the European final.
While the European 200 fly has had a long gap since producing a swimmer under 2:06, the current field suggests it might be closing in. MacInnes' 2:06.76 is just over half a second away from the European record of 2:04.27 set by Hosszu. If she can hold that pace in a final, it could be the first medal for Europe in this event in 16 years. The European record, set by Hosszu in 2009, has remained untouched, and MacInnes' recent performances suggest she could be on the brink of making history.