Dual Olympic silver medallist Leisel Jones tasted defeat for the first time in her European campaign in the 200m breaststroke at a Mare Nostrum meet in Spain.

The Queenslander had been masterful in Monte Carlo and couldn't be chased down in Canet before having her colours lowered by European Champion Mirna Jukic.

The Austrian clocked 2min 26.76sec to relegate world 100m record holder Jones to second in a time of 2:27.60 on the opening day in Barcelona.

Meanwhile Athens-bound sprinter Michelle Engelsman touched out 100m world record holder Libby Lenton in the 50m freestyle.

The Australian pair continued their battle across the continent with Engelsman (25.30s) narrowly defeating Lenton (25.33) to square up their head-to-head record in the one lap event at the three Mare Nostrum meets.

They have both won a contest each and finished in a dead heat in the other.

Engelsman, who missed on making the Australian team for the Sydney Games, has spent the last 12 months training in Florida with the likes of US sprint star Gary Hall.

She earned an Olympic berth in the 50m event by finishing second to Lenton at the trials in April as both swimmers crushed the 25s barrier.

They fought it out as the Janet Evans International Meet in Los Angeles and the Athens Olympic Games test event kicked off elsewhere around the globe.

Lenton won the non-Olympic 50m butterfly event in a personal best time of 27.01 while Jones claimed the 50m breaststroke which is not on the Athens program.

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