BUDAPEST (AFP) -- France's Laure Manaudou set a new world record in the women's 400m freestyle here Sunday, improving her own best mark with a time of 4min 2.13sec to win gold at the European Championships.

The Olympic and world champion's time bettered her old mark of 4:03.03 set on May 12 in Tours, France.

The Frenchwoman's victory handed her fourth gold medal of the championships.