The 23-year-old Scot’s celebrations after winning the final were short-lived as it was announced the race would have to be rerun because of a partial malfunction of the starting system.

Second time around her result was the same, as she touched home first again in 58.49sec to win her first individual European title.

"I’m quite impressed with myself," Dawson told the European Swimming League (LEN).

"I admit I was slightly disappointed when I found out I had to swim again tonight.

"But my coach told me I could do it again easily.

"So then I just focused again and got ready to go."

But while things turned out golden again for Dawson, following the declaration that the original race was void following a protest by Sweden, Kira Toussaint of The Netherlands had the unhappy experience of seeing her original silver medal swim ruled out and then failing to make the podium in the re-run as she finished fourth.

Toussaint, who won the 50m backstroke gold with Dawson taking silver two days ago, reportedly mentioned the speaker system after the first race, saying; "I wasn’t even sure if we were supposed to go."

Italy’s Margherita Panziera, who won silver in 59.01, added: "I’m sort of feeling I haven’t deserved this.

"In the first race I made a mistake, it just happens.

"And then I got this new chance and I’m really happy.

"But I feel like Kira should have won this medal, but sometimes the luck changes and I took my chance."

Bronze, in 59.13, went to Russia’s Maria Kameneva, who like Dawson replicated her original position.

"I’m happy to confirm my third place in this event as I was extremely surprised when they told me that I had to swim again," she said.

"I cannot describe my emotions because of this situation."

On a memorable night for British swimming, Molly Renshaw earned her first European gold in her specialist event of the women’s 200m breaststroke, having won silver in 2014 and bronze in 2016.

After winning in a time of 2min 21.34sec, Renshaw, the 2016 world 200m breaststroke champion, said: "I’m extremely happy, this is my first gold medal in this event.

"The semi-final was very strong and I’m really satisfied because I didn’t expect to swim as fast as I did in the final."

Switzerland’s Lisa Mamie was an unexpected silver medallist in 2:22.05 ahead of Russia’s six-times world champion Yulia Efimova, who won silver in this discipline at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

"I’m really happy in this medal because I know I’m not in a good shape because of COVID and in general," said Efimova, who served a 16-month ban for doping from October 2013 to February 2015.

"After Gwangju 2019, knowing that we would be going into an Olympic year, I took three months of vacation.

"Then it turned out that the Olympics were postponed by one year so ultimately I didn’t compete for more than two years.

"My first event was the Russian national two weeks ago so this is my second race.

"So I need time and races."

Britain earned a third gold on the night in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay, clocking 7:53.15 to finish ahead of the home team, who recorded 7:56.26, and Italy, who finished in 7:56.72.

Russia’s Martin Malyutin set a championship record of 1:44.79 in the men’s 200m freestyle.

Britain’s Duncan Scott took silver in 1:45.19, with fellow Briton Thomas Dean taking bronze in 1:45.34.

Home swimmer Szebasztián Szabó won the men’s 50 metres butterfly title in 23.00, from Ukraine’s Andriy Govorov, who clocked 23.01.

Bronze went to Russia’s Andrey Zhilkin in 23.08.

Italy’s Simona Quadarella won the women’s 1500m freestyle in 15:53.39, with silver going to Russia’s Anastasia Kirpichnikova in 16:01.06 and Quadarella’s compatriot Martina Caramignoli claiming bronze in 16:06.81.