France's Manaudou sets new world swim record 21/11/2004 00:00

LA-ROCHE-SUR-YON, France, Nov 20 (AFP) - France's Olympic 400 metres champion Laure Manaudou set a new world short course record for the women's 1500 metres here Saturday in a time of 15min 42.39sec.

Manaudou, one of the biggest swimming talents France has produced in years, swam alone at the meet which featured mainly junior races but that did not put the 18-year-old off as she beat the record held by Petra Schneider by almost a minute.

Schneider, from East Germany, had set a record of 15:43.30 on January 10,1992 in Gainesville in the United States.

In the process Manaudou also set a new France record for the discipline, which she had already done unofficially in a time of 16:06.59 last week although that time was not validated because she had raced against a field of male swimmers.

Manaudou will now set her sights on success at the upcoming European Championships in Vienna on December 9-12.