MONACO – Germany’s Paul Biedermann has broken the 200 metres freestyle European record, setting a time of 1:44.88s on final day of the Mare Nostrum circuit in Monte Carlo Sunday.

Biedermann shaved 0.01 seconds off the previous mark set by Dutch Pieter van den Hoogenband at the European Champs in Berlin 7 years ago.

European record evolution (Time, Name/Nationality, Place, Date):
1:44.88 Paul Biedermann GER Monte Carlo 14.06.09
1:44.89 Pieter van den Hoogenband NED Berlin 02.08.02
1:45.35 Pieter van den Hoogenband NED Berlin 18.09.00
1:45.35 Pieter van den Hoogenband NED Berlin 17.09.00
1:46.58 Pieter van den Hoogenband NED Berlin 19.12.99
1:46.69 Giorgio Lamberti ITA Bonn 15.08.89
1:47.44 Michael Gross FRG Los Angeles 29.07.84
1:47.55 Michael Gross FRG Munich 08.06.84
1:47.87 Michael Gross FRG Rome 22.08.83
1:48.28 Michael Gross FRG Hannover 21.06.83
1:49.30 Sven Lodziewski GDR Gera 15.06.83

The world record for this event belongs to Michael Phelps, winning gold at the Beijing Games in 1:42.96.