University of Stirling swimmers deliver four golds for Great Britain at major European meet

University of Stirling swimmers have continued their excellent form from the Commonwealth Games – winning four gold medals for Great Britain in the opening three days of the European Aquatics Championships.

Katie Shanahan was top of the podium in Paris after a brilliant performance in the 200m Backstroke, where she set a British record, before Angharad Evans also took gold in the 100m Breaststroke, setting a new Championship record.

Freya Anderson played a key role in delivering first place in the Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay – swimming both the heats and the final – while Jack McMillan, Duncan Scott and Tom Dean all contributed to the win in the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay.

The medals from the first three days of the seven-day meet fall hard on the heels of the staggering 24 medals won by 22 Stirling athletes at Glasgow 2026 - which would have seen the University finish 12th in the overall medal table, if it were a nation. It also comes just days after Stirling – Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence – was crowned UK Sports University of the Year and Scottish University of the Year in Daily Mail University Guide.

Medals

In the 200m Backstroke,  Katie Shanahan set a British record with a 2:06.13 in the final to take first place, ahead of Portugal's Camila Rodrigues Rebelo (2:07.62) and France's Pauline Mahieu (2:08.63).

Speaking after her win, Katie paid tribute to the support she receives, including at the University. She said: “Reflecting on the whole year, I would not be standing here right now without everyone back home - the support staff, the coaches, physios, psychologists, everyone that's been able to get me here. It's really true the saying that 'it takes a village' - it really does, there's a lot of people who have been behind me and who have helped me get this medal today, and I'm just so grateful for that and just a massive thank you to everyone who has helped me.”

Breaking the Championship record twice in 24 hours, the double Commonwealth Games champion Angharad Evans swam the 100m Breaststroke final in 1:04.87 – touching the wall ahead of Ireland's Mona McSharry (1:05.41) and Italy's Benedetta Pilato (1:05.89). Angharad’s time in the final bettered the previous Championship record time she had set during the heats, of 1:04.97.

Speaking after the final, Angharad said: “It’s pretty surreal. I just wanted to break that 1:04.90 barrier. That was the fire in my belly that I needed – I wasn’t too focused on the medal, just my own race and breaking my own record, and I knew that if I got that right the medal would come to me – and that’s just what I focused on.

“I didn’t let the nerves get to me; so, that’s such a big step forward in my career.” 

In the Women's 4x200m Freestyle, Freya Anderson anchored home Great Britain in a total time of 7:45.93 - ahead of Hungary (7:49.09) in second and a neutral team in third (7:49.13). In the Men's 4x200m Freestyle, Jack McMillan and Duncan Scott swam alongside James Guy and Matt Richards to deliver gold for Team GB, with a time of 7:01.52 - ahead of France (7:02.23) and Germany (7:02.28). Tom Dean swam the heats for the race and also receives a gold medal. 

Stirling interest continues across today – including Tom Dean and Jack McMillan in the 200m Freestyle semi-finals, Keanna MacInnes in the 100m Butterfly semi-finals and Angharad Evans in the 200m Breaststroke semi-finals – and into the weekend.

The European Aquatics Championships - held at the Olympic Aquatic Centre in Paris - run until Sunday, 16 August.

Excellence

The University of Stirling is UK Sports University of the Year 2027 (Daily Mail University Guide) and Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence.

Through the powerful and inspirational combination of performance sport, recreational sport, research and education, we are delivering medals on the world stage, improving the health and wellbeing of the nation, and producing the next generation of leaders within sport.

At Stirling, athletes have access to world-class facilities, including a 50-metre pool, a state-of-the-art indoor golf studio, unrivalled outdoor space, and state-of-the-art strength and conditioning suites. In addition to its coaching and facilities, Stirling’s International Sports Scholarship Programme – one of the largest high-performance programmes in the UK – offers athletes funding support, academic flexibility, equipment and kit. It has supported hundreds of athletes since its inception in 1981 – with many competing on the world stage, including at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. Core sports include swimming, tennis, golf, triathlon, football, rugby and curling, while individual scholarships cover all Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports.

Read more about sports scholarships at the University of Stirling.