Manaudou Sets World Record in 400 Free; Prilukov Establishes Continental Record in Metric Mile at Euro Short Course Champs

HELSINKI, Finland, December 9. THE third day of the European Short Course Championships was highlighted by distance swimming. Not only did France's Laure Manaudou set a world record in the 400 freestyle, Russia's Yury Prilukov blasted the European record in the 1,500 freestyle. Meanwhile, Italy's Filippo Magnini won gold in the 100 free.

Men's 1,500 Freestyle Final

Russia's Yury Prilukov got the night started impressively by clocking 14:16.13 in the metric mile. Prilukov shaved more than seven seconds off of his previous European standard and won the gold medal by more than 12 seconds over Poland's Mateusz Sawrymowicz (14:28.43). France's Sebastien Rouault won the bronze medal in 14:39.06.

Women's 400 Freestyle Final

The first individual world record of the week went to – not shockingly – France's Laure Manaudou. Swimming her pet event, Manaudou was timed in 3:56.09, under her 2005 global standard of 3:56.79, set in Italy. Manaudou won the race by more than three seconds over Italy's Federica Pellegrini, who was timed in 3:59.96. Britain's Jo Jackson was third in 4:01.48.

Men's 100 Individual Medley Semifinals

Slovenia's Peter Mankoc was the top qualifier for the championship final as he negotiated his semifinal race in 53.49. He was followed in second position by Norway's Aleksander Hetland (53.87) and Lithuania's Vytautas Janusaitis (53.94).

Women's 100 Breaststroke Semifinals

The Ukraine's Anna Khlistunova was fastest in the semifinal round behind a performance of 1:06.82, which was just ahead of the 1:06.97 of Britain's Kate Haywood. Another British swimmer, Kirsty Balfour, was third in 1:07.23.

Men's 100 Backstroke Semifinals

Russia's Arkady Vyatchanin, who set a European record in the 200 back earlier in the meet, was the swiftest qualifier in the semifinals of the 100 back, going 51.38. Germany's Helge Meeuw was second in 51.51, ahead of countryman Thomas Rupprath in 51.62.

Women's 100 Individual Medley Final

Finland's Hanna-Maria Seppala mined gold in the short medley by covering the four-lap affair in 1:00.45, slightly quicker than the 1:00.50 of Ganna Dzerkal (Ukraine). Seppala was third at the midpoint of the race. The bronze medal went to Belarus' Svitlana Khakhlova, who had the halfway way lead, in 1:00.78.

Men's 200 Butterfly Final

Although he didn't better his championship record, Poland's Pawel Korzeniowski collected the gold medal with a mark of 1:52.33, which was better than the 1:53.08 produced by Hungary's Laszlo Cseh. It was Cseh's second silver medal, joining his second-place finish in the 400 individual medley. Cseh won the 200 I.M. on the first night of the meet. Russia's Nikolay Skvortsov went 1:53.10 for bronze.

Women's 100 Butterfly Semifinals

The Netherlands' Inge Dekker moved into the championship final as the top seed behind a semifinal clocking of 56.99. She was followed in second position by Germany's Antje Buschschulte in 57.61 and the third spot went to Slovakia's Martina Moravcova, the Euro-record holder, in 58.03.

Men's 100 Freestyle Final

The reigning world champion in the long-course version of the 100 free, Italy's Filippo Magnini won Euro gold as the only man under the 47-second clip. Magnini was timed in 46.81, ahead of the 47.05 popped by Sweden's Stefan Nystrand. France's Alain Bernard was the bronze-medal winner in 47.24.

Women's 50 Backstroke

Germany's Janine Pietsch, a sprint specialist who also holds the continental record, picked up gold in 27.32, a time that was fast enough to defeat the Ukraine's Iryna Amshennikova (27.44). Israel's Anna Gostomelsky was the bronze medalist, finishing in 27.50.

Men's 50 Breaststroke

The world-record holder from the Ukraine, Oleg Lisogor had an easy time winning his premier event with a time of 26.50. Lisogor placed ahead of Italy's Alessandro Terrin, who covered the two laps in 26.92, and Great Britain's Darren Mew (27.23). Lisogor won the 100 breaststroke earlier in the competition.

Women's 200 Medley Relay

Finishing just off the world record of 1:47.44, set by the Netherlands last year, Germany produced an impressive gold-medal swim of 1:47.55. The unit of Janine Pietsch, Janne Schaefer, Antje Buschschulte and Daniela Samulski had no trouble bettering the 1:48.14 of Sweden.

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