At the Danish Open, world 1500m champion Lotte Friis (DEN) was a class apart over 400m freestyle, while Pal Joensen (FAR) and Mads Glaesner (DEN) endured a tough battle that ended with the protagonists 0.09sec apart after eight laps.

Friis, on 2:02.26 at the half-way mark with Grainne Murphy of Ireland on 2:02.95, went from strength to strength inn the second half of the race. At the 300m mark, Friis was 1.36 ahead of the visitor on her way to a 4:06.85 victory, Murphy on 4:09.89 for second, third going to Cecilie Johannessen in 4:13.94. Friis's time is 9th in the world so far this year.

Joensen, the Faroes distance ace, and Glaesner  had a tight tussle in the 400m freestyle, turning in that order on 1:52.66 to 1:53.09 at the half-way. With 100m to go Joensen was still 0.49sec ahead, but with 50m to go Glaesner had cut the gap back to 0.21. A stroke-for-stroke sprint home left Joensen 0.09sec ahead on 3:49.84 for the win. Third went to Frans Johannessen, 19, on 3:56.76.

Semi-finals:

Joint world champion Jeanette Ottesen Gray, of Denmark and Svømmeklubben Kvik, Kastrup, took lane 4 for the final of the 100m freestyle in 54.64. Either side of her will be Pernille Blume, 17, on 55.30, and Mie Nielsen, 15, who set a Danish junior record of 55.47.

In the men's 100m free, Andrey Grechin (RUS) was at the helm on 50.01, Jakob Andkjær (DEN), closest to him on 50.30.