LONDON, Dec 11: World and Olympic champion Yana Klochkova, who scooped a lucrative pay-out for a unique string of victories last year, aims to extend a remarkable winning run at the European short-course swimming championships in Antwerp this week.

The 19-year-old Ukrainian celebrated the last edition of these annual championships in Valencia with a jackpot of $45,000 for winning the same event in the four major championships of 2000. She did it in both the 200 and 400 metres individual medley, doubling her money because the 400 medley run included a world record at the Sydney Olympics.

Nobody else could match the feat, with Olympic 100 metres butterfly champion Lars Frolander of Sweden denied at the last hurdle of the “Superstar 2000” challenge by Germany’s Thomas Rupprath in Valencia.

Klochkova, who was swimming in the World Cup series in Melbourne at the weekend, has won the 400m individual medley in her last eight major championships.—Reuters