East German swimmer Heike Friedrich set a...

East German swimmer Heike Friedrich set a European women’s record in the 400-meter freestyle, highlighting a sweep of the gold medals by Eastern Bloc countries at the European Championships in Strasbourg, France.

Friedrich, 17, was timed in 4 minutes 6.39 seconds, only .11 slower than the nine-year-old world record held by Australian Tracey Wickham.