The Dutch hosts smashed the women's 4x100 metres freestyle relay world record at the European swimming championships on Tuesday.
Inge Dekker, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Femke Heemskerk and Marleen Veldhuis hurtled through the entire race inside world record pace to clock 3:33.62 seconds.
They broke the mark of 3:35.22 set by Germany's Petra Dallmann, Daniela Samulski, Britta Steffen and Annika Liebs at the last European championships in Budapest in 2006.
Italy were second, way back in 3:41.06, with Sweden third (3:41.28).
The Dutch inroads on the world record had narrowed to 0.06 seconds when Veldhuis took over on the anchor leg, but it had widened to 1.24 seconds at the 50-metre turn before she hit the wall to her own disbelief 1.60 seconds inside.
Veldhuis's 52.62 beat Steffen's fastest-ever relay split.
Russia lost the men's 4x100 freestyle relay gold when they were disqualified for a faulty takeover by third swimmer Andrei Kapralov after touching first by 1.20 seconds.
Sweden moved into first (3:15.41) ahead of Italy (3:15.77) with the Dutch taking bronze (3:15.88) after their Olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenband was overtaken by Sweden's Jonas Persson and Italian world champion Filippo Magnini. The session began well for the Russians in the men's 400 freestyle with Yuri Prilukov overhauling seasoned Italian Massimiliano Rosolino to retain his title.
Prilukov turned up the pace in the last couple of strokes and caught the 29-year-old Rosolino, to snatch gold by 0.09 seconds in a championship record 3:45.10.
Italy's Alessia Filippi retained her 400 metres individual medley title, taking a decisive lead on the backstroke after Russia's Yana Martynova had led through the opening butterfly.
Filippi swept through to win in 4:36.68, with Hungary's Katinka Hosszu coming through for silver in 4:37.43, leaving 2007 world silver medallist Martynova with bronze (4:37.86)
Hoogenband exits
Meanwhile, ailing triple Olympic gold medallist Pieter van den Hoogenband was eliminated in the 200 metres freestyle heats.
