PHILIPPE NAUGHTON, Sydney | Sunday 3.00pm.
SWIMMING sensation Penny Heyns set her fifth world record in under a week when she lowered her own 50 metres breaststroke mark in a special time trial at the Pan Pacific championships on Saturday.
But Australia dual Olympic champion Kieren Perkins failed to qualify for the final of the 1500 metres freestyle, blaming a bug for a lacklustre performance in the heats. The performance cast serious doubt on the 26-year-old’s dream of competing at next year’s Sydney Olympics. Heyns had already broken three world records this week, in the heats of the 100 metres breastroke and in the semifinals and finals of the 200 metres.
On Saturday, she was out alone again – literally – as she took to the water for a crack at the world mark of 30.95 seconds she set in New York last August. Pushing firmly and smoothly through the Sydney Olympic pool, Heyns hit the wall in 30.83, slicing 0.12 seconds from her record.
The 50 metres is not an Olympic event and is not raced at the Pan Pacs but the time is approved by world governing body FINA as a world record. FINA gave Heyns permission for the time trial.
Heyns (24) has now broken eight world records in the space of six weeks. It was also the 11th world record of the Sydney meet, which has seen new marks set every day for seven. — Reuters