The official competition structure for the European Swimming Trials – 2–5 July 2026 has been confirmed. The event combines the Dutch National Long Course Championships with qualification for the European Championships in Paris and follows a clear and performance-driven format.
Competition Structure
Each day begins with morning heats, followed by the finals session in the afternoon/evening featuring the same events.
The 800m and 1500m freestyle are swum as timed finals. The fastest seeded heat takes place in the A-finals session, while the remaining heats are swum in the morning session based on entry times.
Depending on the number of entries and heat results, a C final may be added to selected events. The finals session starts with the B and/or C finals, followed by the A finals. The A-finals session concludes each day with the relay events.
Para-finals are distributed across both the B/C finals block and the A-finals block, ensuring full integration throughout the program.
Daily event overview
Thursday
- 50m Butterfly (Men/Women)
- 50m Freestyle (Women)
- 400m Freestyle (Men/Women)
- 200m Backstroke (Men/Women)
- 200m Individual Medley (Women)
- Relays: 4x100m Freestyle (Men/Women)
Friday
- 200m Freestyle (Men/Women)
- 100m Backstroke (Men/Women)
- 100m Breaststroke (Women)
- 200m Individual Medley (Men)
- 200m Butterfly (Women)
- 800m Freestyle (Men/Women – timed finals)
- 1500m Freestyle (Women – timed final heat in A-session)
Saturday
- 200m Breaststroke (Men/Women)
- 100m Freestyle (Men/Women)
- 400m Individual Medley (Men/Women)
- 200m Butterfly (Men)
- 1500m Freestyle (Men – timed final heat in A-session)
- Relays: 4x200m Freestyle (Men/Women)
Sunday
- 50m Freestyle (Men/Women)
- 50m Breaststroke (Men/Women)
- 200m Backstroke (Women)
- 200m Breaststroke (Men)
- 100m Butterfly (Men/Women)
- 100m Individual Medley (Men/Women)
- Relays: 4x100m Individual Medley (Men/Women)
With this balanced four-day schedule, the 2026 edition promises high-intensity racing, strategic progression from heats to finals, and thrilling relay finales each day.