Flash! Manaudou Claims Second World Record at European Championships

TRIESTE, Italy, December 10. THE Laure Manaudou show continued to roll on Saturday as the Frenchwoman secured her second world record of the European Short Course Championships, being held in Italy. One day after setting a global standard in the 800 free, Manaudou blasted the world record in the 400 free, her prime event.

Soaring to an early lead, Manaudou covered the distance in 3:56.79, light years faster than the previous mark of 3:59.53, set by American Lindsay Benko in 2003. Just last week, Manaudou set a European record in the event with a clocking of 4:00.20. Really, there was little doubt she would crack the four-minute barrier.

The reigning world and Olympic champion in the 400 free, Manaudou was followed to the wall by Great Britain’s Joanne Jackson, who checked in at 4:01.12, ahead of the 4:02.81 of Italy’s Federica Pellegrini. Fourth place went to France’s Alena Popchanka in 4:03.04.

Manaudou was joined as a world-record setter by the Netherlands’ 200 medley relay. The quartet of Hinkelien Schreuder, Moniek Nijhuis, Inge Dekker and Marleen Veldhuis produced a swim of 1:47.44, quicker than the 2000 world standard of 1:48.31, generated by Sweden. A day earlier, the Netherlands set a world record in the 200 free relay. Germany was second in 1:47.68.

A pair of European records went down during the third day of the competition, which has seen seven world records set. In the men’s 1,500 freestyle, Russia’s Yuri Prilukov notched a time of 14:27.12 to finish ahead of silver medalist David Davies of Great Britain (14:35.94). Meanwhile, Italy’s Filippo Magnini set a European record in the 100 free with an effort of 46.52. Second place went to German youngster Steffen Deibler in 47.43.

Finland’s Hanna-Maria Seppala prevailed in the women’s 100 individual medley behind a mark of 1:00.71. She was followed to the wall by Sweden’s Hanna Eriksson (1:01.18) and Schreuder (1:01.21). As for the men’s 200 butterfly, Poland’s Pawel Korzeniowski just missed the world record of 1:50.73 with his time of 1:50.89. Germany’s Helge Meeuw grabbed silver in 1:52.49.

Other triumphs went to Denmark’s Louise Oernstedt in the 50 backstroke (27.26) and the Ukraine’s Oleg Lisogor in the 50 breaststroke (26.67). Lisogor’s time was a championship record.

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