The London 2012 generation came of age at the European Championships last night when a Great Britain 4 x 100 metres medley squad with an average age of 17 demolished their rivals with the first sub four-minute swim by a European team to retain the crown in 3min 59.33sec.

The new standard, barely a stroke shy of the fastest two times swum — by quartets from the United States and Australia — eclipsed the 4:01.54 that had stood to Germany since 2002. Russia took silver in 4:00.47, with the Netherlands, the hosts, third.

Russia led by a body length for the first three legs after Anastasia Zueva, the European record-holder and champion in the solo 100 metres backstroke, recorded a blistering 59.72sec split, compared with the 1min 1.20sec of Elizabeth Simmonds.

After that, Kate Haywood (1:07.11) and Jemma Lowe (58.00sec) edged closer, leaving Francesca Halsall close behind Daria Belyakina. By the halfway turn, the 17-year-old from Liverpool had caught her rival. Her finishing split of 53.02 was the fourth fastest ever, behind the Olympic champion, the world champion and the world record-holder.

Halsall, the only member of the champion quartet at the previous European Championships in Budapest in 2006, said: “This is the biggest thrill. We love racing together and I love chasing. Last time [in 2006], I was chased down by Britta Steffen \ but held on. This time, I had to catch up and it was blinding.”

Marleen Veldhuis, of the Netherlands, one of those ahead of Halsall on the list of fastest 100 metres relay splits, shaved 0.04sec off Inge de Bruijn’s world record for a win in 24.09 in the 50 metres freestyle. Then Federica Pellegrini, of Italy, took the world record in the 400 metres freestyle from Laure Manuaudou, the Olympic champion from France, in 4min 01.53sec. Alain Bernard, of France, won the 50m final in 21.66.

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