Győr: On an excellent first day of action at the European Youth Olympic Festival, European Olympic Committees (EOC) Acting President Janez Kocijančič awarded Europe’s most talented young athletes with the first medals of the week at the swimming competition.

Five gold medals were awarded in front of an energetic crowd at Győr’s Aqua Sports Centre, with swimming the only event with medals to be won on the first day. In the first final of the EYOF, Sweden’s Robin Hanson won gold in the 200m men’s freestyle with a time of 1:49, 34, defeating Russia’s Maksim Aleksandrov (silver) and Switzerland’s Antonio Djakovic (bronze).

Host nation Hungary had a successful first day, winning individual gold medals in the Women’s 200m Butterfly (Blanka Berecz) and the Women’s 400m Individual Medley (Reka Nagy), and a bronze medal in the Women’s 4x100m Freestyle. Blanka Berecz’s outstanding performance saw her set a new EYOF record in the final of the 200m Butterfly.

Russia was the most successful nation on day one, winning two golds and one silver, with gold medals coming in the Men’s and Women’s 4x100m Freestyle events. The men’s 4x100m team broke the EYOF record by just under a second with a time of 3:25, 03. Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain also won medals on day one.

The first day also saw preliminary action in athletics, basketball, handball, swimming, tennis and volleyball. In the evening, the EOC Executive Committee and NOC delegations were welcomed to Győr Mayor Zsolt Borkai’s reception, where they enjoyed excellent music and wonderful Hungarian food and wine. Mayor Borkai and EOC Acting President Janez Kocijančič both reiterated the outstanding effort from the Organising Committee and the Hungarian National Olympic Committee that has made this event possible.

Tomorrow, we look forward to action in all ten sports.