Scott Quin and Louise Fiddes win European gold at Dublin 2018 - Day 1

Louise Fiddes (left) and Bethany Firth. Photo: British Swimming

Great Britain stormed to a 100m breaststroke SB14 double on the opening day of the 2018 World Para Swimming Allianz European Championships in Dublin.

Louise Fiddes won gold in the women's final, while Scott Quin claimed gold in the men's equivalent.

Fiddes was making her international debut, and won her final in a great time of 1:14.17. She was joined in the top three by fellow Brit Bethany Firth, who touched in 1:16.84 to take bronze.

Fiddes said: "This means everything! All the training, all the work my coaches have put in, it's all come together. It's so incredible to do it at my first international.

"My coaches told me to enjoy the experience but I still felt some pressure. I was a little nervous before the race but the plan worked out in the end."

Meanwhile, Quin was defending the European title he won two years ago. He won the final in 1:07.21. 

Quin said: "A great result for me, obviously not my best as I would've liked to get a PB. This morning I was a bit nervous, a bit tense but this evening it all came good and I've defended my title from two years ago."

His victory was part of a one-two for Great Britain, with Conner Morrison claiming the silver medal.

The British squad ended the first day with six medals in total.

Another international debutant, Megan Richter, claimed a silver medal in the women’s SM8 200m individual medley after swimming a personal best of 2:54.58 - her second PB of the day.

Richter held off the challenge of French swimmer Claire Supiot to secure second place. Afterwards, she said: "I could see her catching me and I knew I just needed to keep going and give it everything, my legs are so tired now.

"I've worked so hard for this, all the early mornings and extra training and I’m just so happy it's paid off and I’ve got a medal.
"I've still got the backstroke which is my main event and I’m really looking forward to that."

Three British swimmers lined up for the women's S6 50m freestyle final, but it was Ellie Robinson who claimed a medal after finishing third in a very close finish to take bronze.

Robinson touched in 34.31, just beating Masie Summers-Newton who had to settle for fourth in 34.70. Tully Kearney was seventh in 37.50.

"I've slightly mixed emotions after that swim," said Robinson. "The time I'm not so happy with, but it’s great to get inside the top three and get myself and the team a medal on the opening day in Dublin.

"For me, the focus is Tokyo 2020 and there’s lots of work that I know I need to do before then."

In the final race of the night, the British men's 34pts 4x100 freestyle relay team of Michael Jones, Jacob Leach, Ollie Hynd and Lewis White just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth.

Also on day one, four gold medals were won in new world record times. These went to Francesco Bocciardo (2:23.65) in the men's S5 200m freestyle, Chantalle Zijderveld (1:12.42) in the women's SB9 100m breaststroke, Yelyzaveta Mereshko (32.78) in the women's S6 50m freestyle, and Maryna Piddubna (30.22) in the women's S11 50m freestyle.

2018 World Para Swimming Allianz European Championships Results - Day 1

Men's 200m Freestyle S5
GOLD: Francesco Bocciardo (Italy) 2:23.65 - WR
SILVER: Antonio Fantin (Italy) 2:26.53
BRONZE: Antoni Ponce Bertran (Spain) 2:34.18

Women's 200m Freestyle S5
GOLD: Inbal Pezaro (Israel) 2:54.91
SILVER: Monica Boggioni (Italy) 2:55.24
BRONZE: Arjola Trimi (Italy) 3:12.62

Men's 200m IM SM8
GOLD: D Michalentzakis (Greece) 2:25.42
SILVER: Andreas Onea (Austria) 2:29.95
BRONZE: Carlos Martinez Fernandez (Spain) 2:33.76

Women's 200m IM SM8
GOLD: Xenia Francesca Palazzo (Italy) 2:48.98
SILVER: Megan Richter (Britain) 2:54.58
BRONZE: Claire Supiot (France) 2:54.79

Men's 100m Breaststroke SB9
GOLD: Stefano Raimondi (Italy) 1:06.06
SILVER: Denys Dubrov (Ukraine) 1:06.90
BRONZE: Dmytro Vanzenko (Ukraine) 1:11.03

Women's 100m Breaststroke SB9
GOLD: Chantalle Zijderveld (Netherlands) 1:12.42 - WR
SILVER: Lisa Kruger (Netherlands) 1:14.87
BRONZE: Aliaksandra Svadkouskaya (Belarus) 1:26.63

Men's 50m Freestyle S6
GOLD: Thijs van Hofweegen (Netherlands) 30.59
SILVER: Georgios Sfaltos (Greece) 31.67
BRONZE: Olieksandr Komarov (Ukraine) 31.88

Women's 50m Freestyle S6
GOLD: Yelyzaveta Mereshko (Ukraine) 32.78 - WR
SILVER: Viktoriia Savtsova (Ukraine) 32.79
BRONZE: Ellie Robinson (Britain) 34.31

Men's 400m Freestyle S12
GOLD: Iaroslav Denysenko (Ukraine) 4:08.00
SILVER: Danylo Chufarov (Ukraine) 4:22.75
BRONZE: Rogier Dorsman (Netherlands) 4:36.11

Women's 400m Freestyle S12
GOLD: Naomi Maike Schnittger (Germany) 4:45.83
SILVER: Maria Delgado Nadal (Spain) 4:48.70
BRONZE: Alessia Berra (Italy) 4:53.13

Men's 100m Freestyle S4
GOLD: Ami Omer Dadaon (Israel) 1:25.40
SILVER: Michael Schoenmaker (Netherlands) 1:27.03
BRONZE: David Smetanine (France) 1:28.55

Men's 50m Butterfly S7
GOLD: Ievgenii Bogodaiko (Ukraine) 29.95
SILVER: Andrii Trusov (Ukraine) 30.49
BRONZE: Tobias Pollap (Germany) 33.68

Women's 50m Butterfly S7
GOLD: Denise Grahl (Germany) 39.36
SILVER: Judit Rolo Marichal (Spain) 40.42
BRONZE: Nicola St Clair Maitland (Sweden) 45.17

Men's 50m Backstroke S2
GOLD: Aristeidis Makrodimitris (Greece) 1:05.07
SILVER: Jacek Czech (Poland) 1:05.22
BRONZE: Francesco Betella (Italy) 1:10.53

Men's 50m Freestyle S11
GOLD: Hryhory Zudzilau (Belarus) 27.01
SILVER: Viktor Smyrnov (Ukraine) 27.40
BRONZE: Wojciech Makowski (Poland) 27.97

Women's 50m Freestyle S11
GOLD: Maryna Piddubna (Ukraine) 30.22 - WR
SILVER: Liesette Bruinsma (Netherlands) 30.54
BRONZE: Maja Reichard (Sweden) 31.17

Men's 100m Backstroke SB14
GOLD: Scott Quin (Britain) 1:07.21
SILVER: Conner Morrison (Britain) 1:07.53
BRONZE: Vasyl Krainyk (Ukraine) 1:07.88

Women's 100m Backstroke SB14
GOLD: Louise Fiddes (Britain) 1:14.17
SILVER: Michelle Alonso Morales (Spain) 1:15.55
BRONZE: Bethany Firth (Britain) 1:16.84

Men's 100m Butterfly S13
GOLD: Ihar Boki (Belarus) 53.95
SILVER: Alex Portal (France) 58.88
BRONZE: Kamil Rzetelski (Poland) 1:00.42

Men's 4x100m Freestyle Relay 34pts
GOLD: Italy 3:50.86
SILVER: Ukraine 3:53.92
BRONZE: Spain 4:00.75