Mireia Belmonte (ESP) went one gold beyond her three-title tally at the world s/c champs a year ago when she claimed the 400m medley Euro s/c crown ahead of Hannah Miley (GBR), 4:24.55 to 4:26.06, as the four-day championships drew to a close in Szczecin, Poland. 

The last session of the meet also witnessed a 2:02.37 world textile-suit best from Daniel Gyurta (HUN) in the 200m breaststroke.

Belmonte took a strong lead with an opening 1:00.52 on butterfly, Miley, the bigger long-course achiever with European, Commonwealth titles and a world silver medal to her credit back in 6th on 1:02.55. Zsuzsanna Jakabos (HUN) took the lead after backstroke, on 2:08.01, Belmonte 0.14sec away, Miley on 2:09.35 in fourth. The top two had established their finishing positions just 50m later, Miley catching throughout but still 1.33sec behind going into freestyle, Belmonte on 3:23.99 and still inside her own European record pace. 

On freestyle, there was hardly anything in between the leaders, Belmonte, having won the 400m free, 200m butterfly and 200m medley titles, punching the air with delight after stopping the clock 0.34sec shy of the continental record she established when winning the world s/c crown a year ago. The bronze went to Jakabos in 4:27.86, which locked out Barbora Zavadora (CZE), on 4:28.21. 

Belmonte's victory added to her golden tally after triumphs in the 200m medley and 200m butterfly on day 1 and the 400m freestyle, in the second-best time ever by a woman in a textile suit, on day 3. 

World champion Gyurta maintained his status as No1 with a 2:02.37 victory in the 200m breaststroke, the time establishing a world textile mark inside the 2:02.92 at which Ed Moses (USA) had reigned since 2004. The silver in Poland went to Vyacheslav Sinkevich (RUS) in 2:03.61, with Michael Jamieson taking down the British record in 2:03.77 for bronze.  

Gyurta led from start to finish, on 27.94, 59.55 (31.61); 1:30.72 (31.17) to his 2:02.37 (31.65), with the other podium placers the only other two below the minute at half-way, Jamieson on 59.71, Sinkevich on 59.99.

The third final of the evening was a close affair between four women inside 1:55 over 200m freestyle. The champion was the pace setter, Silke Lippok (GER) leading from start to a 1:54.08 golden finish. Melanie Costa (ESP) threatened with the fastest homecoming 50m in the race, 28.65, but fell a touch shy, taking silver in 1:54.31, the bronze going to Evelyn Verraszto (HUN) in 1:54.55, Rebecca Turner (GBR) celebrating a lifetime best on 1:54.84 just shy of the podium.

Jeannette Ottesen (DEN) led from go to gold in the 100m butterfly, her 56.22 keeping at bay the fast-finishing Jemma Lowe (GBR), who claimed silver in 56.67, bronze going to Ilaria Bianchi (ITA) in 57.42. Ottesen was out in 25.63, to 26.54 for Lowe, who clocked the same split as Bianchi on the way home, 30.13, to 30.59 for the Danish winner.

Ottesen was back in later for silver in the 50m free behind Olympic champion Britta Steffen (GER), 24.01 to 24.11, the bronze going to Triin Aljand (EST) in 24.23. The latter's partner and bro had a good day too.

Fifth in the first ever European s/c 100m medley back in 1996, Peter Mankoc (SLO) claimed his 10th crown in the event since 2000 with a 52.70 victory over Markus Deibler (GER), on 53.04, and Martti Aljand (EST), on 53.37. Since 1996, Mankoc has never missed a final, winning all crowns from 2000-2008, finishing third in 2009 and second last year before returning to a place he has become accustomed to once more today.

Valentina Artemyeva (RUS) took gold just 0.04sec ahead of Rikke Moeller Pedersen (DEN) in the 100m breaststroke, 1:05.19 to 1:05.23, the bronze going to Daria Deeva (RUS) in 1:05.83. Artemyeva turned in 30.42 to 30.72 for Moeller Pedersen.

In other action: 

Paul Biedermann (GER) held off Filippo Magnini (ITA) and a cracking swim from Lazslo Cseh (HUN) in the 200m freestyle, 1:42.92 to 1:43.20 for the Italian and 1:43.71 for the Hungarian.

Valentina Artemyeva (RUS) took gold just 0.04sec ahead of Rikke Moeller Pedersen (DEN) in the 100m breaststroke, 1:05.19 to 1:05.23, the bronze going to Daria Deeva (RUS) in 1:05.83. Artemyeva turned in 30.42 to 30.72 for Moeller Pedersen.

Radoslaw Kawecki (POL) clocked 50.43 to win the 100m backstroke ahead of Ascwin Wildeboer (ESP), 50.61, and Pavel Sankovich (BLR), 51.14.

Daryna Zevina (UKR) added the 200m backstroke crown to her 100m victory with a championship record of 2:02.25 ahead of Duane Da Rocha (ESP), on 2:03.32, and Melanie Nocher (IRL), on 2:04.29. The champion led from to gold, turning at the 100m mark on 59.85, the only sub-minute split in the field of 10.

The men's 50m butterfly went to Andriy Govorov (UKR) in 22.70, 0.04sec ahead of Amaury Leveaux (FRA), who in turn was 0.03sec up on Konrad Czerniak (POL).

Italian men claimed the last crown of the meet in 1:24.82 in the 4x50m free, Luca Dotto (21.55), Marco Orsi (20.57), Federico Bocchia (21.28) and Andrea Rolla (21.42) the champions ahead of quartets from Russia, on 1:25.11, and Belgium, on 1:25.83, a 20.60 homecoming split from Jasper Aerents keeping Germany at bay.

Russia claimed the Championship Trophy, while Germany led the medals table on 7-2-1 through the colours, ahead of Denmark (5-7-2), with Belmonte's four golds helping to lift Spain to third (5-5-2).

So the curtain closed on a meet which, without wishing to devalue any of the personal achievements of those who did attend and notwithstanding some truly world-class performances, was lacking the bulk of the continent's big hitters, including the A teams of several leading swimming nations. To point such things out often courts criticism in itself but the value of a championship is the worth of watching the very best battle for top honours. If all things must be qualified by noting that Europe's No 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9 were missing, the sport has a problem, one exacerbated in Europe the moment that FINA opted for a permanent December slot for its world s/c showcase, held every two years. This year, attendance was affected by the demands of programmes geared at the only goal that matters next year for those at the helm of the sport: the Olympic Games.