Cyprus and Luxembourg each claimed three gold medals on the first day of athletics competition at the Games of the Small States of Europe in Montenegro ©Montenegro 2019

Cyprus and Luxembourg each claimed three gold medals on the first day of athletics competition at the Games of the Small States of Europe in Montenegro.

Among Cyprus' three winners at SC Topolica in Bar was Andreas Chatzitheori in the men's 100 metres in 10.76sec.

There was also success for the country through Christos Pantelides in the men's long jump with 7.38 metres and Maria Aristotelous in the women's pole vault with 3.60m. 

Luxembourg, meanwhile, had victories courtesy of Bob Bertemes in the men's shot put with 20.57m, Charline Mathias in the women's 800m in 2min 07.78sec and Noémie Marie-Luce Michèle Pleimling in the women's javelin with 51.25m.

Today's other athletics gold medallists were Montenegro’s Marija Vuković in the women's high jump with 1.86m, Andorra's Pol Moya Betriu in the men's 800m in 1:51.52, Malta’s Jordan Daniel Gusman in the men's 5,000m in 14:00.40, and Iceland’s Guðbjörg Jóna Bjarnadóttir in the women's 100m in 11.79.

Luxembourg also had another successful day in the pool, increasing their swimming gold medal tally to 10 with five more wins.

Raphaël Stacchiotti upped his personal tally of victories in individual events to four with success in the men’s 100m backstroke in 56.95 and men's 100m butterfly in 55.07.

Compatriot Pit Brandenburger added the men's 400m freestyle title to his men's 1,500m freestyle crown from yesterday, clocking a time of 3:56.17, while Luxembourg also topped the men's and women's 4x200m freestyle relay podiums with respective times of 7:40.75 and 8:30.38.

Brandenburger and Stacchiotti both contributed to the men's team's triumph. 

In bowls, Luxembourg’s Claudio Contardi and Massimo Santioni won the men’s pentanque team event with three wins out of three in the round-robin group.

Competition in Montenegro is due to continue tomorrow.

Medals will be up for grabs in six sports.