BERLIN, Germany -- Franziska van Almsick anchored Germany to victory in a world record time of three minutes 36.00 seconds in the women's 4x100 meters freestyle relay at the European Swimming Championships on Monday.

Kathrin Meissner, Petra Dallmann, Sandra Voelker and Van Almisck shaved 0.61 seconds off the previous mark set by the United States by winning Olympic gold in Sydney two years ago.

Sweden, the defending European champions, were a distant second in 3:40.66 while the Netherlands took the bronze medal in 3:41.98.

World champions Germany were already well ahead when Van Almsick, completing a remarkable comeback in her home city of Berlin after bursting into prominence as a teenager, set off for the final leg, Reuters reported.

Cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd, the 24-year-old German, who has struggled since her world record and gold medal in the 200 meters freestyle at the 1994 world championships in Rome, powered away to seal a spectacular win.