Strong Performances Mark First Day of European Youth Olympic Festival

By Oene Rusticus

LIGNANO, Italy, July 5. THE European Youth Olympic Festival has started in the Italian city of Lignano, a large tourist city near Venice. At this EYOF, the best athletes of 48 European countries will compete in 11 different sports. The swimming meet is high-level preparation for next year’s European Youth Championships, as the swimmers are aged 15-16 for boys and 13-14 for girls, one year younger than the eligibility to participate in the EYC.

The swim meet breaths an Olympic atmosphere, with Sydney Olympic star Domenico Fioravanti as a special guest to open the meet. He said: “The EYOF is an important event, which gives the young athletes the chance to grow and enrich their international experience to take part, in the future, in the great sport competitions: the Olympic Games, the World and European Championships.”

As predicted, the British contingent is one of the strongest, with three gold medals, including the women’s 400 freestyle relay. Ceri Unwin opened the competition for Great Britain in the 400 freestyle, taking over the lead at the 250-meter mark from Russia’s Elena Sokolova. Unwin won in a strong 4:16.46, while Sokolova just out-touched home crowd favorite Cinzia Sciocchetti with a 4:19.86 to a 4:20.18.

Ellen Gandy accounted for the second victory for Britain in the 100 butterfly, clocking 1:02.60. Carla Campo from Spain and Orsolya Tompa from Hungary battled for second, which was decided at the finish with a 1:03.34 to 1:03.54 for Tompa. Gandy also swam the second fastest leg in the freestyle relay, with only her anchor swimmer Lauren Collins faster. Germany finished second in the freestyle relay, just ahead of Hungary.

Ukraine’s Vira Klymenko won the women’s 200 breaststroke, splitting 1:14.23 en route to a mark of 2:33.07. Nadezda Voropaeva (2:35.69) held of Britain’s Helena Thornton (2:36.14) for silver.

Yoris Grandjean from the French part of Belgium won the 100 freestyle in a stunning upset over Russia’s Sergey Fesikov, who seemed to be the favorite after the heats. Grandjean’s 51.27 was well ahead of the 51.99 of Michele Santucci, who finished slightly ahead of Fesikov (52.06).

Italy got its first gold medal when Damiano Lestingi won the 200 backstroke, giving the packed swimming arena what it hoped for. Only Yannick Lebherz from Germany could stay close (2:03.71 to 2:04.48). Anton Anchin won the bronze medal.

Dinko Jukic led the field in the 200 individual medley from the start, allowing his competitors to narrow the gap only on the breaststroke. His 2:07.13 was almost a second ahead of Britain’s Jonathan Turner-Cook. Mateusz Matczak from Poland won the battle for bronze in 2:09.94.

Germany had the best men’s team in the 400 freestyle relay, leading from the start and finishing in 3:30.22. The battle for silver and bronze was won by Italy (3:32.19) and Russia (3:33.54).

Results

400 freestyle women A final

1 4 Ceri UNWIN GREAT BRITAIN 1991 30.56 1'02.65 1'35.01 2'07.43 2'39.67 3'12.10 3'44.50 4'16.48
2 3 Elena SOKOLOVA RUSSIA 1991 30.17 1'01.95 1'34.43 2'07.36 2'40.36 3'14.21 3'47.40 4'19.86
3 5 Cinzia SCIOCCHETTI ITALY 1991 30.72 1'02.82 1'35.53 2'08.04 2'41.23 3'14.79 3'47.72 4'20.18
4 6 Fanni SZEDER HUNGARY 1992 30.50 1'03.46 1'37.32 2'11.07 2'45.33 3'19.21 3'53.54 4'26.64
5 2 Michelle Melanie KUSSIN AUSTRIA 1992 30.76 1'04.17 1'37.70 2'12.22 2'46.56 3'21.02 3'55.40 4'27.62
6 1 Nika Karlina PETRIC SLOVENIA 1992 31.19 1'04.41 1'37.89 2'12.17 2'46.13 3'20.70 3'54.70 4'27.66
7 8 Monique STECHERT GERMANY 1991 30.52 1'03.54 1'37.78 2'12.61 2'47.71 3'22.62 3'57.34 4'30.19
8 7 Alexandra MANIOU GREECE 1992 32.02 1'07.08 1'42.73 2'18.19 2'52.96 3'28.30 4'02.34 4'36.00

400 freestyle women B final

1 3 Anna NOVAKOVA CZECH REPUBLIC 1991 30.46 1'03.97 1'38.02 2'12.83 2'47.53 3'22.43 3'56.62 4'29.72
2 5 Marta NOGUEROLES SPAIN 1991 32.23 1'06.41 1'40.53 2'14.97 2'49.31 3'23.86 3'58.42 4'31.59
3 6 Ingrid Nygaard KNUTZEN NORWAY 1991 32.05 1'06.40 1'41.08 2'15.78 2'50.22 3'25.15 3'59.71 4'33.11
4 1 Sofie HARNFELDT DENMARK 1991 31.59 1'06.01 1'40.56 2'15.66 2'50.39 3'25.81 4'00.66 4'34.84
5 4 Orla RYAN IRELAND 1991 31.83 1'05.93 1'40.84 2'15.93 2'51.09 3'26.49 4'01.56 4'35.02
6 7 Ninni ARVIDSSON SWEDEN 1991 32.21 1'06.95 1'42.20 2'17.37 2'53.14 3'28.45 4'03.72 4'38.54
7 2 Maeva BREMOND FRANCE RAF 1991 31.64 1'06.15 1'41.51 2'17.27 2'52.67 3'28.52 4'04.12 4'39.18
8 8 Aleksandra KAMINSKA POLAND 1992 32.33 1'07.34 1'42.78 2'18.16 2'54.17 3'30.06 4'06.22 4'41.26

100 freestyle men A final

1 5 Yoris GRANDJEAN RAM 1989 BELGIUM 25.07 51.27
2 3 Michele SANTUCCI RAM 1989 ITALY 25.38 51.99
3 4 Sergey FESIKOV RAM 1989 RUSSIA 24.85 52.06
4 6 Nimrod SHAPIRA BAR OR RAM 1989 ISRAEL 25.40 52.55
5 7 Yauheni LAZUKA 1989 BELARUS 25.42 53.17
6 2 Oleksandr ISAKOV RAM 1989 UKRAINE 25.45 53.20
7 1 Marius BORNHEIM RAM 1989 GERMANY 25.42 53.29
8 8 Sebastian OSTROWSKI RAM 1989 POLAND 25.43 53.66

100 freestyle men B final

1 5 Jorge MAIA RAM 1989 PORTUGAL 26.48 53.55
2 4 David LARSSON RAM 1989 SWEDEN 25.80 53.80
3 3 Robert ZBOGAR RAM 1989 SLOVENIA 25.79 54.20
4 6 Robert IDDIOLS RAM 1989 GREAT BRITAIN 26.47 54.55
5 1 Deividas CEPULIS RAM 1989 LITHUANIA 26.70 54.72
6 2 Eloi SAUMELL RAM 1989 SPAIN 26.24 54.80
7 7 Paul CHESNEL RAM 1989 FRANCE 26.66 55.01
8 8 Duncan FURRER RAM 1989 SWITZERLAND 26.90 55.85

100 butterfly women A final

1 4 Ellen GANDY RAF 1991 GREAT BRITAIN 29.52 1'02.60
2 5 Carla CAMPO RAF 1991 SPAIN 30.34 1'03.34
3 3 Orsolya TOMPA 1991 HUNGARY 30.17 1'03.54
4 7 Gizem CAM RAF 1991 TURKEY 30.21 1'05.07
5 2 Karolina SZCZEPANIAK 1992 POLAND 30.18 1'05.54
6 6 Christin ZENNER 1991 GERMANY 29.70 1'05.79
7 1 Nikola ZATOPKOVA 1991 CZECH REPUBLIC 30.47 1'05.96
8 8 Josefine KARLSSON 1991 SWEDEN 31.39 1'06.69

100 butterfly women B final

1 8 Kim NICKELS 1991 LUXEMBOURG 30.74 1'05.36
2 2 Tijana VUKANOVIC 1991 SERBIA and MONTENEGRO 30.65 1'05.46
3 6 Daria KOSTOVAROVA 1991 RUSSIA 31.56 1'05.95
4 5 Anca Mathilda STEFAN 1992 ROMANIA 30.82 1'05.99
5 4 Andriana TERZI 1991 GREECE 31.09 1'06.46
6 7 Mich BISCHOFF STRANDSKOV RAF 1992 DENMARK 32.22 1'06.91
7 3 Kseniya LEBEDZEVA 1991 BELARUS 31.29 1'06.94
8 1 Debora NANNINI 1991 ITALY 30.99 1'07.28

200 backstroke men A final

1 4 Damiano LESTINGI RAM 1989 ITALY 29.65 1'01.57 1'32.79 2'03.71
2 3 Yannick LEBHERZ RAM 1989 GERMANY 29.88 1'01.87 1'33.51 2'04.48
3 5 Anton ANCHIN RAM 1990 RUSSIA 31.01 1'02.82 1'35.30 2'06.46
4 6 Tomasz GASZYK RAM 1989 POLAND 30.70 1'02.96 1'35.27 2'06.73
5 1 Marco LOUGHRAN RAM 1989 GREAT BRITAIN 28.69 1'00.38 1'33.69 2'06.83
6 7 Nimrod SHAPIRA BAR OR RAM 1989 ISRAEL 30.95 1'02.78 1'36.29 2'07.64
7 2 Niklas GUSTAVSSON RAM 1989 SWEDEN 30.52 1'03.38 1'36.42 2'08.56
8 8 Henk VAN NIEJENHUIS RAM 1989 NETHERLANDS 30.57 1'02.61 1'35.85 2'09.76

200 backstroke men B final

1 5 Alexandros PAPOUTSIS RAM 1989 GREECE 1'03.29 1'35.78 2'08.57
2 7 Gabor BALOG RAM 1990 HUNGARY 1'03.80 1'37.40 2'09.94
3 2 Florian DUGRENIL RAM 1989 FRANCE 31.02 1'04.39 1'37.65 2'10.26
4 1 Andriy ALEKSENKO RAM 1989 UKRAINE 31.39 1'04.29 1'37.32 2'10.37
5 3 Pavel SANKOVICH RAM 1990 BELARUS 30.68 1'04.82 1'38.93 2'11.66
6 4 Lazar BOGDANOVSKI RAM 1989 SERBIA and MONTENEGRO 30.65 1'03.44 1'38.52 2'11.86
7 6 Jan RUS RAM 1989 CZECH REPUBLIC 1'03.33 1'37.68 2'11.97
8 8 Hector JIMENEZ RAM 1989 SPAIN 1'04.67 1'38.93 2'12.37

200 breaststroke women A final

1 5 Vira KLYMENKO 1991 UKRAINE 35.78 1'14.23 1'53.58 2'33.07
2 4 Nadezda VOROPAEVA 1991 RUSSIA 35.80 1'14.77 1'55.17 2'35.69
3 3 Helena THORNTON 1991 GREAT BRITAIN 36.34 1'16.06 1'55.84 2'36.14
4 6 Hanna WESTRIN 1991 SWEDEN 36.06 1'15.81 1'56.12 2'37.23
5 7 Dominika JURCZYNSKA 1991 POLAND 37.45 1'17.54 1'58.16 2'37.38
6 8 Theresa MICHALAK 1992 GERMANY 36.55 1'17.38 1'58.72 2'38.95
7 2 Iona Alexandra POPA 1991 ROMANIA 36.98 1'17.21 1'58.27 2'39.52
8 1 Francesca ACETO 1991 ITALY 37.19 1'17.67 1'58.90 2'41.33

200 breaststroke women B final

1 3 Clara – Lou DEJAEGHER RAF 1991 BELGIUM 37.19 1'18.94 1'59.44 2'38.65
2 4 Uschi HALBREINER 1991 AUSTRIA 37.07 1'17.71 1'58.27 2'38.67
3 5 Reetta HARKONEN 1991 FINLAND 36.60 1'16.95 1'58.10 2'39.04
4 8 Elisavet MAKARITOU 1991 GREECE 36.58 1'17.14 1'58.61 2'39.62
5 6 Agnes Mariann KANDA 1991 HUNGARY 36.39 1'16.63 1'58.96 2'40.14
6 2 Fiona DOYLE RAF 1991 IRELAND 35.74 1'17.15 1'59.46 2'42.37
7 7 Kristyna PALKOVICOVA 1991 SLOVAKIA 37.50 1'18.89 2'01.39 2'43.03
8 1 Dominika VASINKOVA 1992 CZECH REPUBLIC 36.92 1'18.81 2'00.80 2'44.29

200 IM men A final

1 4 Dinko JUKIC RAM 1989 AUSTRIA 27.25 59.39 1'37.04 2'07.13
2 5 Jonathan TURNER – COOK RAM 1989 GREAT BRITAIN 28.18 1'00.97 1'37.83 2'07.86
3 8 Sergio GARCIA RAM 1989 SPAIN 28.22 1'01.74 1'39.60 2'09.94
4 1 Mateusz MATCZAK RAM 1989 POLAND 28.16 1'01.00 1'38.75 2'09.99
5 2 Leif AHME RAM 1989 GERMANY 27.94 1'02.71 1'39.51 2'10.56
6 7 Glenn SURGELOOSE RAM 1989 BELGIUM 27.65 59.83 1'40.25 2'10.68
7 3 Romain LANDRY RAM 1989 FRANCE 27.91 1'01.47 1'39.66 2'10.76
8 6 Dmitriy SHELOMENTSEV RAM 1989 RUSSIA 28.12 1'03.72 1'40.25 2'10.81

200 IM men B final

1 3 Paulo ARAUJO RAM 1989 PORTUGAL 28.43 1'02.06 1'40.72 2'11.58
2 4 Rotem REICH RAM 1989 ISRAEL 29.21 1'02.69 1'41.78 2'12.52
3 5 Martin BADURA RAM 1989 CZECH REPUBLIC 27.81 1'01.13 1'42.45 2'13.69
4 6 Christoffer WALLIN RAM 1990 SWEDEN 29.10 1'03.55 1'43.10 2'14.12
5 2 Csaba PEK RAM 1989 HUNGARY 28.54 1'03.37 1'43.29 2'15.28
6 8 Oliver GONDZA RAM 1990 SLOVAKIA 29.59 1'05.54 1'43.51 2'15.94
7 1 Deniss SOLONIN RAM 1989 ESTONIA 28.12 1'03.97 1'44.28 2'17.92
8 7 Grigorios NTARLANTANIS RAM 1989 GREECE 29.97 1'06.17 1'47.59 2'18.32

400 freestyle relay women final

1 4 GREAT BRITAIN 28.56 58.79 1'27.27 1'57.95 2'26.19 2'56.25 3'23.64 3'53.72
Elisabeth SIMMONDS 1991 28.56 58.79
Chloe HART 1991 28.48 59.16
Ellen GANDY 1991 28.24 58.30
Lauren COLLINS 1991 27.39 57.47

2 5 GERMANY 29.07 1'00.06 1'28.57 1'59.17 2'27.44 2'58.67 3'26.72 3'56.78
Lisa VITTING 1991 29.07 1'00.06
Laura VANEK 1991 28.51 59.11
Sina SUTTER 1991 28.27 59.50
Uta MULLER 1991 28.05 58.11

3 6 HUNGARY 29.01 59.47 1'27.85 1'58.70 2'27.81 2'58.44 3'26.63 3'57.15
Emese KOVACS 1991 29.01 59.47
Gerda OLAH 1991 28.38 59.23
Orsolya TOMPA 1991 29.11 59.74
Anett KOVACS 1991 28.19 58.71

4 2 SWEDEN 28.04 58.77 1'26.27 1'57.26 2'25.78 2'57.55 3'26.18 3'57.70
Nathalie LINDBORG 1991 28.04 58.77
Ninni ARVIDSSON 1991 27.50 58.49
Paulina SJOHOLM 1991 28.52 1'00.29
Josefine KARLSSON 1991 28.63 1'00.15

5 3 ITALY 28.26 59.58 1'27.72 1'59.25 2'27.72 2'59.18 3'28.04 3'58.79
Elisa CIMAROSTO 1991 28.26 59.58
Caterina BRIGHI 1992 28.14 59.67
Eleonora TAFI 1992 28.47 59.93
Cinzia SCIOCCHETTI 1991 28.86 59.61

6 7 FRANCE 29.17 59.40 1'28.22 1'59.60 2'28.53 3'00.70 3'29.60 4'01.84
Malaguie DELARBRE 1991 29.17 59.40
Elsa TRUJILLO 1991 28.82 1'00.20
Delph SCORPOLINI – ROCHE 1991 28.93 1'01.10
Margaux FABRE 1992 28.90 1'01.14

7 1 RUSSIA 28.60 59.72 1'28.81 2'00.85 2'30.17 3'02.19 3'31.25 4'02.97
Oxana SHLAPAKOVA 1991 28.60 59.72
Yulia FEDOS'KINA 1991 29.09 1'01.13
Daria LYASHENKO 1991 29.32 1'01.34
Elena SOKOLOVA 1991 29.06 1'00.78

8 8 BELGIUM 29.21 1'00.76 1'30.06 2'01.89 2'31.68 3'04.05 3'31.93 4'03.45
Charlotte MAES 1991 29.21 1'00.76
Julie BAUWENS 1991 29.30 1'01.13
Laurence LAMBOT 1991 29.79 1'02.16
Joliene SIJSMANS 1992 27.88 59.40

400 freestyle relay men final

1 4 GERMANY 25.76 53.06 1'18.18 1'45.65 2'38.61 3'03.02 3'30.22
Marius BORNHEIM 1989 25.76 53.06
Dimitri COLUPAEV 1990 25.12 52.59
Robin BACKHAUS 1989 ***** 52.96
Yannick LEBHERZ 1989 24.41 51.61

2 5 ITALY 26.17 53.19 1'18.86 1'46.90 2'04.29 2'40.76 3'05.56 3'32.19
Luca LAVEZZARI 1989 26.17 53.19
Antonio TESSAROTTO 1989 25.67 53.71
Filippo BARBACINI 1990 17.39 53.86
Michele SANTUCCI 1989 24.80 51.43

3 7 RUSSIA 26.16 54.85 1'21.08 1'48.20 2'05.48 2'42.35 3'06.92 3'33.54
Nikola POTURAYEV 1989 26.16 54.85
Anton ANCHIN 1990 26.23 53.35
Nikita SOLOMENTSEV 1989 17.28 54.15
Sergey FESIKOV 1989 24.57 51.19

4 6 GREAT BRITAIN 26.56 53.39 1'18.39 1'46.60 2'04.89 2'39.79 3'05.66 3'33.93
Adam BROWN 1989 26.56 53.39
Grant TURNER 1989 25.00 53.21
Robert IDDIOLS 1989 18.29 53.19
Steven BECKERLEG 1989 25.87 54.14

5 3 BELGIUM 25.43 52.81 1'18.33 1'47.67 2'42.58 3'07.27 3'33.97
Glenn SURGELOOSE 1989 25.43 52.81
Pholien SYSTERMANS 1990 25.52 54.86
Thomas DEBAETS 1989 ***** 54.91
Yoris GRANDJEAN 1989 24.69 51.39

6 2 BELARUS 25.99 54.34 1'20.39 1'48.86 2'43.38 3'08.08 3'35.94
Andrei ILYIN 1989 25.99 54.34
Ihar MASHKOU 1989 26.05 54.52
Artsem KOSTYLEV 1989 ***** 54.52
Yauheni LAZUKA 1989 24.70 52.56

7 8 POLAND 26.63 54.70 1'20.16 1'48.60 2'06.60 2'42.79 3'07.87 3'36.08
Sebastian KASZA 1989 26.63 54.70
Wojciech CHARYNA 1989 25.46 53.90
Bartosz BOGDAN 1989 18.00 54.19
Sebastian OSTROWSKI 1989 25.08 53.29

8 1 FRANCE 25.98 54.08 1'19.94 1'48.33 2'42.60 3'08.70 3'36.60
Emeric KOUHAILI 1990 25.98 54.08
Paul CHESNEL 1989 25.86 54.25
Stephane DEBAERE 1989 ***** 54.27
Romain LANDRY 1989 26.10 54.00

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