Flash! Germany Blasts World Record in Women’s 800 Free Relay

BUDAPEST, Hungary, Aug. 3. ANOTHER day at the 28th LEN Europeans Championships, another world record for Germany. The women’s 800-meter freestyle relay contingent of Petra Dallmann, Daniela Samulski, Britta Steffen and Annika Liebs obliterated the previous world standard held by the United States (7:53.42) with an incredible time of 7:50.82.

Dallmann fell behind Poland’s Otylia Jedrzejczak in the opening leg as Jedrzejczak touched in 1:57.15, almost a full two seconds ahead of Dallman’s 1:59.14.

Samulski made up the difference in the second leg with a quick 1:58.27 split, before budding superstar Steffen blazed in with a 1:57.77 split in the third leg.

Liebs did what the anchor leg is supposed to do, drop the hammer and bring it home. She blistered the course with an astounding 1:55.64 to stop the clock with a world record.

After the American quartet of Natalie Coughlin, Carly Piper, Dana Vollmer and Kaitlin Sandeno wiped out the drug-tainted 17-year-old standard of 7:55.47 previously held by East Germany with an incredible 7:53.42 at the 2004 Athens Olympics, a German relay came back to retake the global standard.

In a head-to-head race between the record performances, Coughlin would have taken a two second lead over Dallman as the American’s held a 1:57.74 to 1:59.14 advantage at the first relay exchange.

At the second exchange, Piper would have held onto a slight American lead over Samulski with a 3:57.13 to 3:57.41 lead at the halfway point.

The Germans would have made their move at the third relay exchange as their three-quarter time with Steffen touching the wall at 5:55.18 would have been slightly in front of Vollmer’s touch at 5:55.25.

In the end, Liebs’ overpowering anchor leg of 1:55.64 would have absolutely blown away Sandeno as Liebs blasted the record at 7:50.82 against the American’s 7:53.42.

Meanwhile, Poland’s team of Jedrzejczak, Joanna Budzis, Agata Zwiejska and Paulina Barzycka picked up silver in 7:56.32, while France’s relay of Alena Popchanka, Sophie Huber, Aurore Mongel and Laure Manaudou took bronze in 7:56.44.

Women’s 200-meter IM Finals
Laure Manaudou continued her successful run at the Europeans with another victory. This triumph came by way of a 2:12.69, a second off the meet record of 2:11.59 held by Yana Klochkova of Ukraine. Poland’s Katarzyna Baranowska snared silver in 2:13.36, while Italy’s Alessia Filippi picked up bronze in 2:13.75.

Men’s 100-meter Freestyle Semifinals
Italy’s Filippo Magnini posted the top-qualifying time of 48.91, while France’s Frederick Bousquet touched second in 49.16. Additionally, Russia’s Evgeney Lagunov clocked the third-fastest time of 49.20.

Women’s 100-meter Butterfly Semifinals
Inge Dekker of the Netherlands clocked the quickest time out of the semis with a 58.64, while France’s Alena Popchanka took second in 58.69. Slovakia’s Martina Moravcova rounded out the top three with a 59.01.

Men’s 200-meter Breaststroke Finals
Poland’s Slawomir Kuczko pocketed gold in 2:12.12 to hold off silver-winning Italian Paolo Bossini, who touched in 2:12.35. Meanwhile, Britain’s Kristopher Gilchrist snagged bronze in 2:13.21.

"My God, that is more than a surprise," Kuczko said. "Who would have tought I would win gold. since I already won the short course title, I am now also the long course European champ."

Women’s 100-meter Backstroke Finals
Laure Manaudou accomplished the daily double with a 1:00.88 to capture her second gold of the day. Meanwhile, German’s Antje Buschschulte earned silver in 1:01.40, while countrywoman Janine Pietsch garnered bronze in 1:01.55.

"I am positively surprised by my time," Manaudou said."Because I missed my start but my second lap was excellent."

Men’s 200-meter Butterfly Finals
Poland’s Pawel Korzeniowski erased a four-year old meet record in the 200 fly with a sterling time of 1:55.04. That effort surpassed Franck Esposito’s 1:55.18 set in 2002 at Berlin. Meanwhile, Greece’s Ionnis Drymonakos picked up silver in 1:57.03, while Russia’s Nikolay Skvortsov nabbed bronze in 1:57.12.

"After my elimination in the 400 free heats I was very angry," Korzeniowski said. "This was the revenge today but I hoped to clock a new European Record."

Women’s 200-meter Breaststroke Semifinals
Britain’s Kirsty Balfour cruised into the top-qualifying time with a 2:27.48, while Hungary’s Agnes Kovacs touched second in 2:27.99. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Yuliya Pidlisna snared third in 2:28.60.

Men’s 50-meter Backstroke Finals
Germany’s Helge Meeuw captured the 50 back crown in 25.06 to fall just .06 seconds off the meet record of his fellow countryman Thomas Rupprath’s 25.00 set in 2002. Meanwhile, Greece’s Aristeidis Grigoriadis took silver in 25.14, while Britain’s Matthew Clay grabbed bronze in 25.15.

Norbert Agh contributed to this report

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