Rosolino, 28, Olympic silver medallist in 2000, clung on to take his third European 400 freestyle silver medal in 3:46.87 and fast-finishing Nicolas Rostoucher of France came through for the bronze in 3:47.04.

"It was a good race," Prilukov, silver medallist in the event at the 2004 European championships, said. "I was prepared for Rosolino setting the pace but he could not threaten me. It was clear that I would catch him on the last lap."

Rosolino's Italian compatriot Emiliano Brembilla, winner of the event at four of the last five European championships, failed to qualify for the final after finishing 13th overall in the heats.

Filippi, silver medallist at the world-short-course championships in Shanghai in April, took the lead in the 400 individual medley on the second leg, the backstroke, after Russia's Yana Martynova had led through the opening butterfly.

The 19-year-old Italian stretched away to win in 4:35.80, with Germany's Nicole Hetzer taking the silver in 4:37.97 and Katarzyna Baranowska of Poland the bronze in 4:40.02.

"I want to improve my time at the world championships in Melbourne (next year). My dream is the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing," Filippi said.

Italy retained their men's 4x100 freestyle relay title thanks to a blistering split of 47.62 on the anchor leg by Filippo Magnini, who overhauled Frenchman Amaury Leveaux and brought his team home in a championship record 3:15.23. Russia were second (3:16.47) and France third (3:16.53) in a repeat of the 2004 order.

Magnini, world 100 freestyle champion, said: "I knew I was capable of overtaking Leveaux and I know I have a very fast finish. We wanted that gold medal badly and we won it."