Klochkova, Brembilla Keep Their Golden Touch as the European Championships Open in Madrid

MADRID, May 10. UKRAINE’S Yana Klochkova had a relatively easy time of it while Italy’s Emiliano Brembilla had to fight every stroke of the way, but at the end of 400 meters, they both had scored rare fourth European titles in their specialties to open the swimming competition at the European Championships in Madrid.

In winning the European title in the 400 IM for the fourth time, Klochkova surpassed the triple recorded by Hungary’s Krisztina Egerszegi in the 1990s. To do it, she had to beat the current Hungarian champion, 19 year-old Eva Risztov, who has been her constant shadow for the last three years.

Women’s 400m IM
Risztov led through 200 meters, but Klochkova, the world record-holder in this event and a double Olympic champion in Sydney, took command on the breaststroke leg, then pulled away in the freestyle to win by almost two seconds.

Klochkova’s time – 4:38.52 – was the fastest in the world thus far this year, but still was almost five full seconds slower than her world record of 4:33.59. Risztov was second in 4:40.34, with Slovenia’s Anja Klinar a distant third at 4:46.05.

Men’s 400m freestyle.
Brembilla became the first man to win four European titles in the 400 free, but the race was a nail-biter, coming down to the final stroke.

Massi Rosolino, the Olympic silver medalist behind Ian Thorpe, grabbed the lead at the start, but Brembilla took over after the first turn. He held that lead for 200 meters before Romania’s Dragos Coman caught him at the 250 meter-mark, then inched ahead with just 100 meters to go.

That’s when Russia’s 19 year-old distance phenom, Yuri Prilukov, took over. The heir-apparent to Vladimir Salnikov, Prilukov, flipped first at the final turn, with Coman and Brembilla right behind. But it was Brembilla who wanted it the most, as he pulled ahead to win in 3:49.14 – not a great time, but a fine performance. The Italian had previously won this event in 1997, 2000 and 2002.

Prilukov just out-touched Coman for second, 3:49.51 to 3:49.52.

Women’s 4x100m free relay
In the absence of world record-holder Germany, France won the women’s 4x100m free relay in 3:40.67. Malia Metella anchored in 53.80 to hold off the Netherlands’ Marleen Veldhuis, 54.03.

The Dutch, swimming without former world record-holder Inky de Bruijn, touched second in 3:41.39, followed by Sweden at 3:43.54.

Men’s 4x100m fee relay
Lorenzo Vismara clocked 49.24 leading off the men’s 4x100m free relay – the fastest leadoff time — to give Italy a lead it would never relinquish. The Italians were anchored by Filippo Magnini in 48.28 – the fastest relay split. He brought his team home in an excellent 3:15.66. Italy could challenge for a medal in Athens.

Russia, swimming without Alex Popov, was second in 3:17.00, while France was third in 3:18.10, swimming without Fred Bousquet.


EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Mdarid, Spain

50 meter pool

RESULTS
DAY ONE: May 10, 2004

Men’s 400 metres freestyle
1. Emiliano Brembilla (ITA) 3:49.14
2. Yuri Prilukov (RUS) 3:49.51
3. Dragos Coman (ROM) 3:49.52
4. Jacob Carstensen (DEN) 3:50.32
5. Massimiliano Rosolino (ITA) 3:50.92
6. Dimitrios Manganas (GRE) 3:52.74
7. Sergiy Fesenko (UKR) 3:52.77
8. Olaf Wildeboer (ESP) 3:53.47

Men’s 4×100 metres freestyle relay
1. Italy 3:15.66
2. Russia 3:17.00
3. France 3:18.10
4. Sweden 3:19.62
5. Ukraine 3:20.56
6. Greece 3:21.26
7. Lithuania 3:21.32
8. Slovenia 3:21.74

Women’s 400 metres IM
1. Yana Klochkova (UKR) 4:38.52
2. Eva Risztov (HUN) 4:40.34
3. Anja Klinar (SLO) 4:46.05
4. Zsuzsanna Jakabos (HUN) 4:48.13
5. Beatrice Caslaru (ROM) 4:49.37
6. Yana Martynova (RUS) 4:51.27
7. Alessia Filippi (ITA) 4:51.50
8. Vasiliki Angelopoulou(GRE) 4:53.98

Women’s 4×100 metres freestyle relay
1. France 3:40.67
2. Netherlands 3:41.39
3. Sweden 3:43.54
4. Belarus 3:43.92
5. Italy 3:45.72
6. Spain 3:46.71
7. Denmark 3:46.77
8.. Switzerland 3:50.62

Women's 10 metre platform diving

1. Tania Cagnotto (ta) 538.56 points
2. Olena Zhupina (UKR) 507.45
3. Valentina Marocchi (ITA) 504.93
4. Christin Steuer (GER) 479.13
5. Svetlana Timoshinina (RUS) 466.68
6. Annett Gamm (GER) 456.06
7. Anja Richter (AUT) 451.53
8. Natalia Goncharova (RUS) 442.80

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