MEN
100M BUTTERFLY
Fifth twelve months ago this time around Rimvydas Salcius of Lithuania made no mistakes in Glasgow 2003. The eighteen year old was 0;33 up at the half way stage and powered his way home to finish in 53;25sec a personal best and two fifths inside the championship record established in 2000 by Andry Serdinov of the Ukraine. His time placed 0;94sec ahead of the rest of the field. France's Amaury Leveaux brought the rest of the field home ahead of Sotiris Pastras of Greece.
100M BREASTSTROKE
Alessando Terrin of Italy, set a very fast pace over the first 75m. A pace that no one could live with but over the final 25m he started tie up as the field closed down on him. He just managed to find enough strength to hang on and win in a personal best of 1min 02l36sec one hundredth faster than his semi-final. Norway's Alexander Den snatched the runners up spot with a time of 1min 02;53sec 0;41sec ahead of Valeriy Dymo of the Ukraine.
400M FREESTYLE
There was no spearhead in this final as the field was scattered about. The battle was between Przemyslan Stanczyk of Poland in lane one and Italy's Nicola Cassio in lane eight. The lead kept changing until going into the final 100 when Stanczyk took control and raced to victory in 3min 51;71sec 1;25 inside the championship record established in 1995 by Massimiliano Rosolini of Italy. Cassio came home for silver in 3min 52;42sec with Britain's David Davies silver medallist twelve months ago, third in 3min 54;80sec.
200M BACKSTROKE
Laszio Cseh was the only swimmer to have a personal best of sub 2min and he made his speed tell from the start as he raced to his second gold of the championships. Twenty-four hours earlier the Hungarian won the 400m medley the event for which he won silver at the World Championships in a European record. His time for the backstroke of 1min 58;99sec was a championships record shaving 0;3sec off the figures established two years ago by another Hungarian Viktor Bodrogi. Luca Marin of France, made a slow start he was last at the first turn. By the half way stage he had moved up to fifth and was one place higher at the final turn. But a fast finish brought him home in the silver medal position with a personal best of 2min 01;77sec with Austria's Sebastian Stoss claiming bronze in 2min 02;18sec.
50M FREESTYLE
Just half a second separated all eight finalists in the one length dash where Yuriy Yegoshyn of the Ukraine, emerged the champion. His time of 23;02sec a personal best and just 0;01 ahead of Finland's Manu Mantymaki. The bronze went to Croatia's Alexei Puninskiin 23;31.
4x200M FREESTYLE
Russia successfully defended their crown in a championship record of 7min 27;24sec. But they had to work hard for their victory. They were fifth at the first take over but slowly one by one hauled the teams in. Silver medallists twelve months ago France were once agai8n the runners-up to Russia finishing just 0;17 behind. Bronze medallist Italy were a further 0;34 behind.
WOMEN
100M FREESTYLE
Daniela Gotz the 2002 50m freestyle champion from Germany, added the 100m crown with a swim of 55;64sec. This was 0;0;37sec outside the championship record established eleven year ago by fellow German Franziska van Almsick. Jeanette Ottesen of Denmark, who had already won her semi-final of the 50m butterfly tried in vain to capture the silver medal position but in the end had to settle for the bronze in 56;93sec 0;69 behind Italy's Federica Pellegrin.
200M BREASTSTROKE
Iryna Matstruck and her Ukrainian team mate Yuliya Pidslina did battle over the first three lengths but the pace told over the final 50m and Pidslina slipped off the pace allowing Matstruck to come home a clear winner in 2min 28;21sec a personal best. Germany's Sonja Helbig produced a rapid last length to separate the two Ukrainians with a personal best of 2min 29;70sec with Pidslina a further 2;22sec in arrears.
100M BACKSTROKE
British swimmers were following in the footsteps of Katy Sexton who won silver in this event six years ago and went on to win silver at the world championships and gold in the longer 200m. Her Portsmouth club mate Gemma Spofforth who set a British junior record in the semi-final the previous evening, led at the half way stage. But her lead was short lived as Britain's other representative Stephanie Proud the former national record holder, and Ester Baron of France, made their bid for glory. Baron just managed to edge ahead on the final strokes finishing in 1min 02l43sec with Proud recapturing her junior mark with a swim of 1min 02;69sec. Spofforth took bronze in 1min 03;02sec
50M BUTTERFLY
Vasilisa Vladykina of Russia, made a success defence of her title in 26;96sec a championship record just 400ths inside the figures established three years ago by Vered Borochovsky of Israel. In her third swim of the evening Denmark's Jeanette Ottesen captured her second medal with a personal best of 27;25sec just 300th ahead of Aleksandra Urbanczyk of poland
800m FREESTYLE
Regina Sytch the sixteen year old from Russia hwo finished sixth in the 1500m at the World Championships, ran away with the 800m title finishing almost nine seconds ahead of Britain's Kerianne Payne in 8min 38;67sec. This was the teenagers second victory of the championships. On day6 one she won the 400m distance.Denmark's Lotte Friis caught and passed another Russian swimmer Maria Bulakhova to take the bronze.
