MADRID, May 10. UKRAINE\u2019S Yana Klochkova had a relatively easy time of it while Italy\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
In winning the European title in the 400 IM for the fourth time, Klochkova surpassed the triple recorded by Hungary\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n
Women\u2019s 400m IM<\/b>
\nRisztov 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.<\/p>\n
Klochkova\u2019s time \u2013 4:38.52 \u2013 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\u2019s Anja Klinar a distant third at 4:46.05.<\/p>\n
Men\u2019s 400m freestyle<\/b>.
\nBrembilla 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. <\/p>\n
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\u2019s Dragos Coman caught him at the 250 meter-mark, then inched ahead with just 100 meters to go.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when Russia\u2019s 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 \u2013 not a great time, but a fine performance. The Italian had previously won this event in 1997, 2000 and 2002.<\/p>\n
Prilukov just out-touched Coman for second, 3:49.51 to 3:49.52.<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s 4x100m free relay<\/b>
\nIn the absence of world record-holder Germany, France won the women\u2019s 4x100m free relay in 3:40.67. Malia Metella anchored in 53.80 to hold off the Netherlands\u2019 Marleen Veldhuis, 54.03.<\/p>\n
The Dutch, swimming without former world record-holder Inky de Bruijn, touched second in 3:41.39, followed by Sweden at 3:43.54.<\/p>\n
Men\u2019s 4x100m fee relay<\/b>
\nLorenzo Vismara clocked 49.24 leading off the men\u2019s 4x100m free relay \u2013 the fastest leadoff time — to give Italy a lead it would never relinquish. The Italians were anchored by Filippo Magnini in 48.28 \u2013 the fastest relay split. He brought his team home in an excellent 3:15.66. Italy could challenge for a medal in Athens.<\/p>\n
Russia, swimming without Alex Popov, was second in 3:17.00, while France was third in 3:18.10, swimming without Fred Bousquet.<\/p>\n
\nEUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
\nMdarid, Spain<\/b><\/p>\n
50 meter pool<\/p>\n
RESULTS
\nDAY ONE: May 10, 2004<\/b><\/p>\n
Men\u2019s 400 metres freestyle
\n1. Emiliano Brembilla (ITA) 3:49.14
\n2. Yuri Prilukov (RUS) 3:49.51
\n3. Dragos Coman (ROM) 3:49.52
\n4. Jacob Carstensen (DEN) 3:50.32
\n5. Massimiliano Rosolino (ITA) 3:50.92
\n6. Dimitrios Manganas (GRE) 3:52.74
\n7. Sergiy Fesenko (UKR) 3:52.77
\n8. Olaf Wildeboer (ESP) 3:53.47<\/p>\n
Men\u2019s 4×100 metres freestyle relay
\n1. Italy 3:15.66
\n2. Russia 3:17.00
\n3. France 3:18.10
\n4. Sweden 3:19.62
\n5. Ukraine 3:20.56
\n6. Greece 3:21.26
\n7. Lithuania 3:21.32
\n8. Slovenia 3:21.74 <\/p>\n
Women\u2019s 400 metres IM
\n1. Yana Klochkova (UKR) 4:38.52
\n2. Eva Risztov (HUN) 4:40.34
\n3. Anja Klinar (SLO) 4:46.05
\n4. Zsuzsanna Jakabos (HUN) 4:48.13
\n5. Beatrice Caslaru (ROM) 4:49.37
\n6. Yana Martynova (RUS) 4:51.27
\n7. Alessia Filippi (ITA) 4:51.50
\n8. Vasiliki Angelopoulou(GRE) 4:53.98<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s 4×100 metres freestyle relay
\n1. France 3:40.67
\n2. Netherlands 3:41.39
\n3. Sweden 3:43.54
\n4. Belarus 3:43.92
\n5. Italy 3:45.72
\n6. Spain 3:46.71
\n7. Denmark 3:46.77
\n8.. Switzerland 3:50.62<\/p>\n
Women's 10 metre platform diving<\/p>\n
1. Tania Cagnotto (ta) 538.56 points
\n2. Olena Zhupina (UKR) 507.45
\n3. Valentina Marocchi (ITA) 504.93
\n4. Christin Steuer (GER) 479.13
\n5. Svetlana Timoshinina (RUS) 466.68
\n6. Annett Gamm (GER) 456.06
\n7. Anja Richter (AUT) 451.53
\n8. Natalia Goncharova (RUS) 442.80<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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