Another German, Britta Kamrau, was also just less than one second ahead of fourth place finisher Melissa Pasouali of Italy.

It was one of just two finals being held on the second day of the championship, which has assembled a record 1,000 competitors from 42 countries. Performances here will also be valid as qualification standards for the 2000 Olympics, and European swimmers are said to be in peak form with the Euros considered their top meet before Sydney.

Buechse, 27, swam the 5-kilometre circuit in one hour, one minute, 56.6 seconds, compared to 1:01:57.8 for the 27-year-old Valli, and 1:02:00.6 for Kamrau, 20. Pasouali was timed at 1:02:01.

Finals will also be held in the solo synchronised swimming event, with 12 women competing for a medal. In yesterday's preliminaries, Russia's OlgaBrusnikina emerged the overall leader, followed by Virginie Dedieu of France and Christina Thalassinidou of Greece.

Preliminaries were also held today in duet synchronised swimming and in the men's 10-metre platform diving, with Germany's Heiko Meyer taking the top points. He was followed by Russian Vetera Dimitri Sautin and Britain's Leon Taylor.

Duet and the 10-metre finals will be held tomorrow, along with a final in men's 25-kilometre open water swimming. Open water swimming is being held in the sea in the Istanbul suburb of Kumburgaz, on the European side of this city that spans two continents.

Events today included a team technical preliminary in synchronised swimming, with the finals coming on Sunday.

For the first time in the biennial event, water polo is not part of the championships -- the sport will hold its own championship in Italy in September.