Breaststroke sprint men produced the swiftest efforts in first session of the European Championships in Eindhoven, Alexander Dale Oen (NOR) racing into the semis of the 100m in 1:00.11, with Hugues Duboscq (FRA) on 1:00.34. The latter was the best time of Dale Oen, from Melbourne 2007, while his latest effort lifts him from 0th to 7th on the all-time list, two places below Duboscq, with a 1:00.05 from Montreal 2005.

Pawel Korzeniowski (POL) led qualifiers in the 400m freestyle with a 3:47.70 ahead of Yury Prilukov (RUS), on 3:48.81. Yana Martynova (RUS) went through at the helm of the 400m medley women, in 4:40.47, ahead of Alessia Filippi (ITA), 4:42.80, and Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 4:42.86. Back in 12th and out of the final was Olympic champion Yana Klochkova (UKR), in 4:50.36.

The 50m butterfly heats had thee Dutch swimmers ahead at an event that allows four per nation in heats. Two go through: Inge Dekker, 25.89, Chantal Groot, 26.39, with Hinkelien Schreuder, on 26.59 and out of the semi but ahead of world champion Therese Alshammar (SWE), on 26.75.

In the 100m backstroke, Aristeidis Grigoriadis (GRE) clocked 54.8 to progress a touch ahead of Guy Barnea (ISR), 54.90, Liam Tancock (GBR), 54.98, and Markus Rogan (AUT), 55.16.