BUDAPEST – A historic European Championships closed tonight in Budapest with France that achieve the best result ever at this meeting.

In the first race of the final day, Therese Alshammar won her second title at this Europeans touching first in the 50m freestyle. It’s the fourth time that the 33-year-old from Solna won this event (previously in 2000, 2002 and 2004) clocking 24.45secs.

Second place for Dutch Hinkelien Schreuder with 24.66 and at third Francesca Halsall of Great Britain in 24.67.

France’s Frederik Bousquet won the men’s 50m freestyle in 21.49, quite disappointed for his time, but enthusiastic for the title: “I came to these European Championships to win the 50m freestyle - and I did it!” he said.
The silver medal was awarded to Swedish Nystrand who touched in 21.69 and bronze for Frenchman Gilot in 21.76.

Yuliya Efimova has taken her second gol, the seventh for Russia, at the Europeans and set the new meeting record in the 50m breaststroke with 30.29 (the new world best in 2010). At second place Britain’s Haywood with 31.12 and third Sweden’s Jennie Johansson in 31.24.

Katinka Hosszu led a Hungarian one-two in the 200m butterfly taking gold in 2:06.71 while Zsuzsanna Jakabos secured silver in 2:07.06. “It’s a fantastic success for Hungary. I tried to fully focus on my race, but you couldn’t miss the fans’ cheers, we all heard them, it was fabulous. Butterfly was just my second choice here, I had focused on the individual medley event.” said Jakabos.
Ellen Gandy won another bronze for Great Britain with a final time of 2:07.54.

Laszlo Cseh and David Verraszto claimed another one-two for Hungary in the 400m individual medley. Cseh, 24, won his fourth straight continental title in this event touching in 4:10.95, while teammate Verraszto clocked 4:12.96. “Since I wasn’t in a good shape in the 200 medley, this silver is a consolation prize, althouhg I clocked a personal best. It is not easy to defeat Laszlo Cseh, he simply is the best!,” said silver medallist Verraszto.
Gal Nevo gave to Israel the second medal of this year’s tournament winning bronze in 4:15.10.

British champion Rebecca Adlington won the 400m freestyle event touching first in 4:04.55. Ophelie Cyriell Etienne of France, already silver medallist in the 800 free, was second again in 4:05.40 while Danish double European champion Lotte Friis missed the triple, finishing third in 4:07.10 “I hadn’t reckoned at all with this medal. The 400m are too short for me, I simply can’t follow the high starting pace of the others. The 800m and 1500m are tailored for me,” she said.

Britain won the women's 4x100 medley relay. The quartet of Spofforth, Haywood, Halsall and Smith dominated the race finishing in 3:59.72. Sweden took silver in 4:01.18 and Germany bronze with 4:03.22.

France team of Lacourt, Duboscq, Bousquet and Gilot won the men’s medley relay, knocking 2.93 seconds off the Championships record set in 2008 by Russia, finishing in 3:31.32, with Russia coming in second at 3:33.29 and Netherlands third in 3:33.99.

Medals table at the end of the seven-day European swimming championships on Sunday:

NOTE: two silver and no bronze medals were awarded in the women’s 100m breatstroke.