Max Litchfield gains Paris revenge with European Championships bronze
Max Litchfield returned to the city of one of his most crushing defeats, and enjoyed a modicum of revenge.
Two years ago, Litchfield was in tears after finishing fourth in the Olympic 400m individual medley final at La Defense Arena in Paris.
It was not just the nature of the finish – he was actually second when they turned for home on the last 50 metres – it was more the fact it was the third Olympics in a row he had touched the wall just outside the medals.
However, across the city at the Paris Aquatic Centre, Litchfield at last tasted glory by winning a bronze in the 400m IM on the first evening of the swimming events at the European Championships.
Litchfield, 31, from Pontefract, clocked 4min 11.58 to take his place on the podium on Monday night. It is the fifth individual medley medal of Litchfield's career and comes on the back of a fifth-place finish in the 200m IM at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Adam Ramsay-Peaty started his European Aquatics Championships campaign by topping the time-sheets in the men’s 100 metres breaststroke heats on Monday.
Ramsay-Peaty eased into Monday night’s semi-finals as he clocked 59.08 seconds to win his heat, finishing 0.03 secs ahead of Italy’s Simone Cerasuolo at the Paris Aquatic Centre.
The Olympic great then won his semi-final in a time of 58.94.
Harrogate's Gabe Shepherd, fresh from a silver medal at the Commonweatlh Games in Glasgow in the 4x200m, is again part of that squad in Paris.
The British team won their heat on Monday morning and the 18-year-old will be looking to add more silverware.