Petar Mitsin finished eighth in the 400-meter freestyle final of the European Swimming Championships in Paris. The Bulgarian national finished the race in 3:47.42 minutes and failed to intervene in the battle for the medals, BTA reports. Mitsin showed a better time in the morning heats, when he stopped the stopwatch at 3:46.28 minutes. It was this result that secured him a place among the eight finalists, but in the evening session he was unable to repeat his performance.
The gold medal was expected to go to the big star of the hosts, Leon Marchand. France's Olympic hero from Paris 2024 won the title with a time of 3:43.14 minutes, receiving huge support from the audience.
The Bulgarian swimmer reached the final after a strong performance in the last heat of the qualifications, in which he competed with Marchand and world record holder Lucas Martens from Germany. Mitsin finished third in the heat and managed to overtake Martens.
Despite eighth place, participating in the final is an important achievement for the 20-year-old Bulgarian, who continues to gain experience in the company of the strongest swimmers in Europe.
Mitsin was the only Bulgarian representative to participate in the final of the championship in Paris. Before him, Gabriela Georgieva reached the evening session after qualifying for the semifinals of the 200-meter backstroke.
For Mitsin, the European Championships continue to be a valuable test against the backdrop of the high competition on the continent, and his participation in the 400-meter freestyle final is further proof that Bulgarian swimming has a representative among the elite of the discipline.