Overview
- Wattel qualified for the final after posting 53.53 in the semifinals, which was the sixth-fastest time overall and earned her a lane for Tuesday's deciding race.
- Earlier on Monday she advanced from the heats with a 53.98, a time just shy of her season best of 53.96 from the French Championships in Saint-Étienne.
- Béryl Gastaldello also advanced to the final with a 53.58 in the semis, giving France two entrants in the top-eight race.
- The fastest swimmer in the semis was Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands, who posted a 52.44 and arrives as the clear top seed.
- The European Championships use a rapid heats-to-final format, so Tuesday’s 18:42 local final will decide medals and test who can recover and peak across multiple rounds.