The Spaniard also won a valuable watch from LEN sponsor Omega for the best performance of the day (200m IM).
The Polish hosts also went strong on the opening day: Konrad Czerniak (50m freestyle/20.88) and Radoslaw Kawecki (200m backstroke/1:49.15) both achieved their first ever European gold medals.
“I am swimming four races today, and thank God everything went smoothly. I clocked Polish records in the heats in the morning and in the final in the evening”, declared Czerniak.
Russian Valentina Artemyeva possibly gave herself the best present on her 25th birthday on Thursday when she regained her 2008 title in the 50m breaststroke. The other European Champions on the opening day were Paul Biedermann (Germany/400m free), Laszlo Cseh (Hungary/200m IM), and the Italian men’s 4x50m medley relay team.