Started this morning the 47th European Junior Championships at the Swimming Stadium in Rome, with about 600 athletes in the pool representing 48 countries. In the first race the danish Rasmus Nickelsen lowers the personal best by 2 cents in the 50m butterfly (23"85), followed by Benedetta Pilato who swims fast for the eighth personal best time in the 50m breaststroke, distance of which she is European champion, vice world champion and world record holder in 29''30. Two personal bests in the Turkish team: Batuhan Filiz, in the 400m freestyle (3'51"60, prec. 3'51"97) and Merve Tuncel, 8'28"03 in the 800m freestyle wich is also the Championship Record (prec. Giulia Salin 8'29"19). Polish Ksawery Masiuk, in the 100m backstroke, also sets his new best time, the first of the morning's heats in 54"65.

Shown below the best results of the heats.

Men's 50m butterfly
Rasmus Nickelsen (Den) 23"85 pp (prec. 23"87)

Women's 50m breaststroke
Benedetta Pilato (Ita) 29"75

Men's 400m freestyle
Batuhan Filiz (Tur) 3'51"60 pp (prec. 3'51"97)

Women's 100m freestyle
Daria Klepikova (Rus) 55"01

Men's 100m backstroke
Ksawery Masiuk (Pol) 54"65 (prec. 54"94)

Women's 400m individual medley
Katie Shanahan (Gbr) 4'45"56

Men's 4x100m freestyle
Romania (Popovici 48"32, Gergely 50"80, Cozma 51"43, Dinu 50"63) 3'21"18

Women's 800m freestyle
Merve Tuncel (Tur) 8'28"03 CR (prec. Giulia Salin 8'29"19)

Credit Photo Andrea Masini / DBM