Aaron Peirsol and Leisel Jones became the latest world record-breakers at the 11th World Swimming Championships on Friday.
America’s Peirsol lowered his own world record to win his third straight 200m backstroke world title in a time of one minute and 54,66 seconds.
He improved on the previous record of 1:54,74 set at the United States Olympic trials on July 12 last year in Long Beach, California.
Jones won the women’s 200m breaststroke in 2:21,72, regaining the world record American Amanda Beard had taken from her with a time of 2:22,44 at Long Beach, also on July 12 2004.
They were the sixth and seventh world records of the championships.
Peirsol added the world title in the 200m back to those he won in 2001 at Fukuoka and in 2003 in Barcelona. He also won Olympic gold last year in Athens.
In fact, he hasn’t lost a 200m since taking silver at the Sydney Olympics.
”I’m starting to feel possessive about it,” he admitted. ”I’m just elated.”
Peirsol had already successfully defended his 100m backstroke crown at the world championships this week. But even though he lowered his 100m backstroke world record in April, Peirsol said he wasn’t really expecting to set a record in the 200m.
”I hoped, but I didn’t think I’d be able to do that,” he said.
Austrian Markus Rogan was second in 1:56,63, and American Ryan Lochte was third in 1:57,00.
Like Peirsol, Jones led wire-to-wire and was under world-record pace at every turn.
Germany’s Anne Poleska was second in 2:25,84 and Austrian Mirna Jukic was third in 2:27,11.
American Brendan Hansen couldn’t join the record-breaking ranks, but he did add the 200m breaststroke gold to his 100m crown.
Hansen went out hard and was well under his own world-record pace early before finishing in 2:09,85.
”It hurt, it’s supposed to,” Hansen said of the effort. ”I just went out and gave it my all. That’s all I can do. I’ll take the win.”
Hansen was still a comfortable 1,37 seconds ahead of silver medallist Mike Brown of Canada (2:11,22), with Japan’s Genki Imamura taking bronze in 2:11,54.
Australia’s triple Olympic gold medallist Jodie Henry won the women’s 100m freestyle world title, storming to victory in 54,18 seconds.
Henry didn’t match her own world record of 53,52, but the 21-year-old improved on the silver medal she earned in the event at the 2003 World Swimming Championships in Barcelona, and added the title to the Olympic gold she won in Athens last year.
European champion Malia Metella of France and Olympic backstroke gold medallist Natalie Coughlin of the US tied for second in 54,74.
America’s 4x200m freestyle relay team rounded off a stellar day for US men by ending Australia’s run of three straight world titles.
Shortly after posting the second-fastest 100m butterfly semifinal time behind compatriot Ian Crocker, Michael Phelps led off the relay team, who won in 7:06,58.
The US squad of Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay and Klete Keller were the same team who captured gold at the Athens Olympics.
Canada took the silver in 7:09,73, with anchor swimmer Andrew Hurd holding off Aussie great Grant Hackett. Australia, winners of the last three world titles in the event, were third in 7:10,59. — Sapa-AFP