Valeriia Shabalyna broke the women’s S14 200m to claim gold ©Getty Images

Russia’s Dmitrii Kokarev and Valeriia Shabalyna set world records to claim gold medals on the opening day of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming European Open Championships at the Complexo Olimpico de Piscinas da Penteada in Madeira.

Kokarev showed strong form in the heats of the men’s S2 200 metres freestyle, producing a European record time of 4min 19.83sec to qualify fastest for the final, as well as setting his sights on the world mark of 4:15.27, held by China’s Yang Yang.

The Russian lowered the mark to 4:12.76 to earn victory in the evening session, with Ukraine’s Serhii Palamarchuk and Ievgen Panibratets completing the podium in 4:21.76 and 4:31.53 respectively.

Shabalyna replicated her team-mates' feat in the women’s S14 200m final, lowering the world record of Britain’s Bethany Firth from 2:03.70 to 2:03.54.

Britain’s Jessica-Jane Applegate finished narrowly adrift of her rival to claim the silver medal in 2:06.29, with a time of 2:16.87 enough for Spain’s Michelle Alonso Morales to win bronze.

The Russian team’s success in the freestyle events continued with Olesia Vladykina winning the women’s S8 100m final in 1:09.97 after compatriot Denis Tarasov claimed victory in the men’s race in 58.09.

A fifth freestyle gold was secured by Roman Zhdanov in the men’s S4 100m in 1:24.24 to beat Slovenia’s Darko Duric by 3.97 seconds.

Ukraine’s Andrii Derevinskyi touched home in 1:28.54 to complete the podium positions.

Norway's Sarah Louise Rung beat Spain's Teresa Perales in the S5 50m butterfly final
Norway's Sarah Louise Rung beat Spain's Teresa Perales in the S5 50m butterfly final ©Getty Images

Arjola Trimi produced a world record time to claim gold in the women’s S4 100m freestyle, the Italian shaving 0.06 off her previous mark by finishing in 1:28.02.

Trimi finished well clear of the Ukrainian duo Mariia Lafina and Maryna Verbova, who finished in 1:38.57 and 1:54.01 to win the silver and bronze medals. 

The first duel between Spain’s Teresa Perales and Norway’s Sarah Louise Rung saw the later come out on top in the women’s S5 50m butterfly.

Both swimmers claimed four titles at the 2014 edition of the Championships in Eindhoven, but Rung earned the first gold medal in Madeira, finishing in 43.71.

Six-time Paralympic champion Perales settled for the silver medal in 46.14 and Belarus’ Reka Kezdi secured the bronze in 46.41.

Britain’s Andrew Mullen defended his title in the men’s event, finishing in 36.91.

Russia’s Dmitrii Chernieav clocked 38.38 for second and Turkey’s Eroglu Beytollah touched home in 38.41 to claim the bronze medal.

Mullen’s team-mate Matthew Wylie won his first European title in the men’s 50m freestyle S5 event by finishing in 25.85.

Paralympic champion Jonathan Fox earned a third British gold medal, touching home in 1:10.62 in the S7 men’s 100m backstroke.