Russia complete synchronized swimming gold haul at Euro Swim

Members of Russia's team perform in the women's synchronized swimming free combination final at the European Swimming Championships in Budapest August 8, 2010.

BUDAPEST, Aug. 8 -- Russia won both synchronized swimming gold medals in Sunday's finals on day five of the European Swimming Championships in Budapest.

The Russians, who also claimed double gold medals in Saturday's team and solo competitions, won the free combination event, scoring 98.300 points ahead of Spain on 97.000 and Ukraine on 94.100.

Earlier in the day, Natalia Ischenko, who won individual and team gold for Russia on Saturday, picked up her third gold of the championships in the pairs with partner Svetlana Romashina.

The Russian pair scored an impeccable 98.700 points, beating the Spanish title holders Ona Carbonell and Andrea Fuentes into second place on 96.700 points and Daria Iushko and Kseniya Sydorenko of Ukraine won bronze with 93.400 points.

In Balatonfured, 120kms southwest of Budapest, on the last day of the open water events, Ukraine's Olga Beresnyeva won the women's 25km event just ahead of Germany's Angela Maurer.

After almost six hours in the water, the two swimmers remarkably finished neck and neck, with Beresnyeva pipping the German for gold by a tenth of a second and claiming Ukraine's first ever medal in an open water event.

The Ukrainian's winning time was 5 hours 48 minutes and 10.2 seconds. Just twenty seconds behind was Italy's Martina Grimaldi who won the bronze with a time of 5 hours 48 minutes and 30.8 seconds, a fraction of a second ahead of Spain's Margarita Dominguez in fourth.

The pool and diving events begin next Monday in Budapest, when four gold medals will be on offer.

Members of Russia's team pose with their gold medals in the women's synchronized swimming free combination final at the European Swimming Championships in Budapest August 8, 2010.

Members of Russia's team perform in the women's synchronized swimming free combination final at the European Swimming Championships in Budapest August 8, 2010.
(Reuters)