European Championships: Flash! Federica Pellegrini Smashes 400 Free World Record

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands, March 24. THE second world record of the day fell at the European Championships as Italy's Federica Pellegrini blasted the women's 400 free record shortly after Marleen Veldhuis clipped the women's 50 free.

Pellegrini charted a blistering pace to become the first sub-4:02 woman in the event with a sterling time of 4:01.53. The performance snatched the global standard from her chief rival, Laure Manaudou of France. Manaudou had owned the record with a 4:02.13 from 2006.

Pellegrini clocked splits of 59.01, 1:59.60 and 3:00.41 en route to the record.

Pellegrini is the first Italian to hold the record, and it gives Pellegrini her second career global standard after losing the 200 free set during the 2007 World Championships semifinal round – later taken away by Manaudou.

Complete results.

World Record Progressions
Courtesy of USA Swimming
6:30.2y Ethelda Bleibtrey USA New York 8/16/1919
6:16.6 Helda James GBR Leeds 7/29/1921
5:53.2 Gertrude Ederle USA Indianapolis 8/4/1922
5:51.4 Martha Norelius USA Coral Gables 1/23/1927
5:49.6 Martha Norelius USA New York 6/30/1928
5:42.8 Martha Norelius USA Amsterdam 8/6/1928
5:39.2 Martha Norelius USA Vienna 8/27/1928
5:31.0 Helene Madison USA Seattle 2/3/1931
5:28.5 Helene Madison USA Los Angeles 8/13/1932
5:16.0 Willy den Ouden NETH Rotterdam 7/12/1934
5:14.2 Ragnhild Hveger DEN Copenhagen 2/10/1937
5:14.0 Ragnhild Hveger DEN Gand 10/3/1937
5:12.4 Ragnhild Hveger DEN Magdeburg 11/14/1937
5:11.0 Ragnhild Hveger DEN Copenhagen 12/12/1937
5:08.2 Ragnhild Hveger DEN Copenhagen 1/16/1938
5:06.1 Ragnhild Hveger DEN Copenhagen 8/1/1938
5:05.4 Ragnhild Hveger DEN Svendborg 9/8/1940
5:00.1 Ragnhild Hveger DEN Copenhagen 9/15/1940
4:50.8 Lorraine Crapp AUS Townsville 8/25/1956
4:47.2 Lorraine Crapp AUS Sydney 10/20/1956
4:45.4y^ Isla Konrads AUS Sydney 1/9/1960
4:44.5 Christine von Saltza USA Detroit 8/5/1960
4:42.0 Marilyn Ramenofsky USA Los Altos 7/11/1964
4:41.7 Marilyn Ramenofsky USA Los Altos 8/1/1964
4:39.5 Marilyn Ramenofsky USA New York 8/31/1964
4:39.2 Martha Randall USA Maumee 8/14/1965
4:38.0 Martha Randall USA Monaco 8/26/1965
4:36.8 Pamela Kruse USA Ft. Lauderdale 6/30/1967
4:36.4 Pamela Kruse USA Santa Clara 7/7/1967
4:32.6 Deborah Meyer USA Winnipeg 7/27/1967
4:29.0 Deborah Meyer USA Philadelphia 8/18/1967
4:26.7 Deborah Meyer USA Lincoln 8/1/1968
4:24.5 Deborah Meyer USA Los Angeles 8/25/1968
4:24.3 Deborah Meyer USA Los Angeles 8/20/1970
4:22.6 Karen Moras AUS London 4/30/1971
4:21.2 Shane Gould AUS Santa Clara 7/9/1971
4:19.04 Shane Gould AUS Munich 8/30/1972
4:18.07 Keena Rothhammer USA Louisville 3/22/1973
4:17.33 Heather Greenwood USA Santa Clara 6/28/1974
4:15.77 Shirley Babashoff USA Concord 8/22/1974
4:14.76 Shirley Babashoff USA Long Beach 6/20/1975
4:11.69 Barbara Krause GDR Berlin 6/3/1976
4:09.89 Petra Thumer GDR Montreal 7/20/1976
4:08.91 Petra Thumer GDR Joenkoeping 8/17/1977
4:07.66 Kim Linehan USA Woodlands 8/2/1978
4:07.15 Cynthia Woodhead USA Berlin 8/24/1978
4:06.28 Tracey Wickham AUS Berlin 8/24/1978
4:05.45 Janet Evans USA Orlando 12/20/1987
4:03.85 Janet Evans USA Seoul 9/22/1988
4:03.03 Laure Manaudou FRA Tours 5/12/2006
4:02.13 Laure Manaudou FRA Budapest 8/6/2006
4:01.53 Federica Pellegrini ITA Eindhoven 3/24/2008

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