Manaudou sets world record in 400 freestyle, wins 4th gold
2006/8/8
BUDAPEST, Hungary, AP
Laure Manaudou bettered her own world record in the women's 400-meter freestyle Sunday and won her fourth gold medal at the European Swimming Championships.
Manaudou's time of 4 minutes, 2.13 seconds improved her own mark by 0.90 seconds, which she had set in May when she broke Janet Evans' 18-year-old record.
Also, Britta Steffen won the 50 freestyle, her fourth gold medal to go along with three world records.
In the two diving finals, Nataliya Umyskova and Nadezhda Bazhina of Ukraine won the women's 3-meter springboard synchro event with 314.55 points, while Gleb Galperin of Russia was first in the men's 10-meter platform with 472.90.
Manaudou started off on a great pace, making the turn after the first 50 meters 0.21 seconds ahead of the record. The Frenchwoman kept adding to the pace and was 1.02 ahead at the end of the seventh of eight laps, when she finally slowed slightly.
"I started to win gold. I didn't have the world record in mind," Manaudou said. "It's a bonus."
Joanne Jackson of Britain was second in 4:07.76, followed by Caitlin McClatchey of Britain in 4:08.13.
Manaudou initially was tipped to break the championship record of six golds, but she had only the 18th-best time in her first race, the 400 individual medley. Steffen won the 50 in 24.72, edging Therese Alshammar of Sweden, who finished in 24.87, and Marleen Veldhuis of the Netherlands at 24.89.
"I had to fight hard and I think all seven of my competitors had a better start than me," Steffen said, even though she had the third-best reaction time at the start.
In other finals, Kirsty Balfour led Britain to gold in the women's 400 medley relay with a time of 4:02.24, besting the German team anchored by Steffen by 0.11 seconds and the French quartet in which Manaudou swam first by 1.40 seconds.
Elena Bogomazova of Russia won the women's 50 breaststroke, while world record holder Otylia Jedrzejczak of Poland took gold in the 200 butterfly -- her fourth straight European title in the event.
In the men's finals, Laszlo Cseh of Hungary won his second gold of the championships, taking the 400 individual relay in 4:09.86 and beating Luca Marin of Italy by more than three seconds.
Bartosz Kizierowski of Poland won the 50 freestyle in 21.88 seconds, edging Olexandr Volynets of Ukraine, who finished in 21.97, and Duje Draganja of Croatia at 22.14.
The Russian men captured the last swimming event of the meet, winning the 400 medley relay in 3:34.96. Ukraine took silver and Britain got the bronze.
With all 58 events completed, Russia topped the medals table with 16 golds, followed by Germany with 12, and France with six.
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