Federica Pellegrini (ITA) claimed Laure Manaudou's boyfriend when the Frenchwoman left Luca Marin behind to return to France - and now she's claimed the Olympic champion's 400m freestyle world record. In 4:01.53, Pellegrini wiped 0.60sec off Manaudou's standard from Budapest on August 6, 2006.

The splits compared:

Pellegrini 59.01; 1:59.60; 3:00.41; 4:01.53
Manaudou: 57.81; 1:59.11; 3;01.16; 4:02.13

Now that should make a fine spectacle in Beijing. Disqualified for a false start in the 200 freestyle heats, the Italian took her anger out on what was close to being an eight-lap sprint. She emerged to say: 'Of course I was a bit upset because of my disqualification in the 200 free. Today I desperately wanted to win gold, but didn't at all reckon with such a time.'

Manaudou will have to watch it at trials next month. Coralie Balmy (FRA) took the silver in 4:04.15, with Camelia Potec (ROM) third in 4:05.62. The winner in Beijing has to be looking at sub 4 minutes, just as Manaudou's former coach Philippe Lucas warned two years ago.

Pellegrini's best had been 4:05.20. Now the all-time list of those still in the swim reads:

4:01.53 Pelegrini ITA
4:02.13 Manaudou FRA
4:02.20 Hoff USA
4:04.15 Balmy FRA
4:04.23 Jedrzejczak POL
4:04.24 Ziegler USA
4:04.73 MacKenzie AUS
4:05.19 Shibata JPN
4:05.19 Barratt AUS