Saturday opened with the Swiss competitors on a roll, claiming five of the early Baku 2015 gold medals. It began when Jolanda Neff became the first-ever European Games champion by winning the women’s Mountain Bike event in a dominant display, with compatriot Kathrin Stirnemann taking silver. A short while later, Nino Schurter spearheaded a Swiss 1-2-3 in the men`s event, with Lukas Fluckiger and Fabian Giger taking silver and bronze, respectively.

Azerbaijan were not to be denied their share of the gold medals, however, as karateka Firdovsi Farzaliyev defeated Italy`s Luca Maresca in the men`s Kumite -60kg final, and the legendary `Black Panther` - Rafael Aghayev - took down Luigi Busa in the -75kg class.

The day`s Wrestling provided a series of memorable moments, with Greco-Roman wrestler Rafig Huseynov`s spectacular slam of opponent Selcuk Cebi particularly notable. The move took him into the 80kg Greco-Roman final, where he ultimately met his match in Russia`s Evgeny Saleev.

The men`s Water Polo competition is already shaping up to be a highlight of the Games, and a wonderful moment came when Petar Kasum of Serbia scored a true beauty of a goal, one of three he claimed against Slovakia.

Sporting events on the scale of the European Games always see new stars burst on to the stage, and Russia`s Anisiya Neborako is already staking her claim to the honour in Baku. Her Synchronised Swimming performances have captivated her audience, and she could be on her way to winning the solo crown, as well as the team and free combination titles.

The women`s Triathlon was an unmissable rerun of the London 2012 event, which saw Nicola Spirig up against Lisa Norden, whom she beat by a whisker in a famous photo finish three years ago. This time around Spirig won more comfortably, more than a minute ahead of the second-placed Rachel Klamer of the Netherlands, with Norden just two seconds behind her, winning the bronze.

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