EINDHOVEN, Netherlands (AFP) - Marleen Veldhuis gave warning of her intentions for the Beijing Olympics as the Dutch swimmer sprinted to victory in the women's 100m freestyle at the European swimming championships here on Thursday.

Veldhuis helped ease the home crowd's disappointment after three-time Olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenband failed to qualify for the men's 200m freestyle final which was won by Germany's Paul Biedermann.

The 28-year-old came close to breaking the world record of 53.30, before running out of steam and touching in 53.77 ahead of Finland's Hanna-Maria Seppala (54.04) and another Dutch swimmer Inge Dekker (54.12).

"I started off a little fast and logically I suffered in the final metres," explained Veldhuis, the 50m freestyle short-course world record holder (23.58).

"Without the encouragement of the public I'm sure I wouldn't have won."

It is the first major success for Veldhuis since she won the 50m freestyle short-course world title in Indianapolis in 2004.

She set the tone for the competition here this week by helping the women's 4x100m medley team to a new world record on Tuesday.

The world silver medallist over 100m freestyle in Melbourne last year behind Australian Lisbeth Lenton, Veldhuis is now bidding for gold in Beijing after injuries hampered her preparations for the 2004 Olympics.

The second women's gold on offer Thursday was won by Austria's Mirna Jukic in the 100m breaststroke. She clocked 1min 08.18sec to take the title ahaed of Russia's Alena Alekseeva (1:08.91) and Swede Joline Hoestman (1:08.94).

Meanwhile, France's Laure Manaudou put herself on course for a backstroke double as she achieved a new European record in the 100m backstroke semi-finals a day after winning the 200m title.

The Olympic 400m freestyle champion timed 59.50sec which is just 0.29sec off the world record 59.31 of American Natalie Coughlin.

Hungary claimed two gold in the men's competition.

Laszlo Cseh lived up to his status as favourite in the 200m medley as Gergo Kis won the 800m freestyle.

Biedermann, meanwhile, succeeded the beleagured van den Hoogenband as the 200m freestyle champion. Van den Hoogenband was the 2000 Olympic and four-time European champion over the distance.

And the Dutch swimmer's coach Jacco Verhaeren admitted that he did not expect the Olympic 100m champion to be fit to compete in heats over that distance on Friday.

"He's still sick. For the 100m, I think we've had it," said Verhaeren, who has also coached Veldhuis since 2005.

Van den Hoogenband will be bidding for an unprecedented third Olympic title over the 100m freestyle in Beijing in August.