Laure Manaudou (FRA) tore the semi-final 100m backstroke field apart with a European record of 59.50 in Eindhoven, her victory a step towards becoming the first woman to win the European crown three times (2004, 2006, 2008) in the final tomorrow.

So much in a rush was the Frenchwoman that she did not even allow enough time for the 59.64 clocked by Anastasia Zueva (RUS) in St Petersburg last month to be ratified. 'It will be rubber stamped by LEN today,' said Gennady Aleshin, Russian representative at LEN and FINA, when explaining why Manaudou's 59.87 from Melbourne 2007 was showing as the record on the start sheet.

Zueva will provide the challenge in the final, a 1:00.19 in the second semi keeping her 0.33sec ahead of 30-year-old comeback mum Nina Zhivanevskaya (ESP), a former Russian Olympic swimmer, and Sanja Jovanovic (CRO) on 1:00.80.

Laszlo Cseh (HUN) claimed the 200m medley title in 1:58.02, well down on best. He said: 'I am not at all happy with my time, it was even worse than yesterday in the semi-finals. On the other hand, I'm not fully tapered off and naturally can't expect a best time. I still have to practise before the Olympics if I want to stand up to the US guys (Phelps and Lochte are the top two going into US Olympic trials, so far).'

The silver went to Dinko Jukic (AUT), in 1:59.65. He had just watched his sister Mirna win the 100m breaststroke crownm in 1:08.18. Inspired, he was still on a roll after his race: 'Among the juniors I won everything there is. Now I want to establish myself among the seniors and made a big step towards that goal today. The past short course season wasn't too good for me, but the better is my opening into the long course season.' The bronze went to Vytautas Janusaitis (LTU) on 2:00.17.