Record frenzy at swim champs

MELBOURNE – On-fire Americans Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin and Aaron Peirsol all smashed world records yesterday with Italy’s Frederica Pellegrini also getting in on the act in a dynamic night of swimming.

Phelps obliterated the 200m freestyle record Ian Thorpe had held since 2001, shaving 0.2secs off the Australian great’s time set at the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, when he touched in one minute 43.86 seconds. Not to be outdone, Coughlin followed it up with a stunning swim to crack her own five-year-old world record of 59.58 in the 100m backstroke She held off French superstar Laure Manaudou to blitz the field and touch in 59.44.Peirsol joined in the frenzy by breaking his own 100m backstroke world record in a time of 52.98, bettering the 53.17 he set in Indianapolis in April 2005.On a remarkable night, Pellegrini then stunned the crowd by storming through her 200m freestyle heat in 1:56.47 to shave Franziska Van Almsick’s record (1:56.64) that had stood since 2002.Another American Kate Ziegler was under world record pace for the first 1 000m of the 1500m freestyle before tiring to just miss the oldest world mark still standing, set by Janet Evans in 1988.Australia’s Leisel Jones grabbed the final gold of the session in the 100m breaststroke with her time of 1:05.72 the second fastest in history.America’s Tara Kirk was second and Ukraine’s Anna Khlistunova third.Phelps’ battle with former Olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenband was always going to be a highlight of the meet and it didn’t disappoint.The 21-year-old American dictated the race and was below world record pace throughout, pulling away from the Dutchman in the last 50m for one of his greatest ever swims.Emerging star Park Tae-hwan of South Korea, who won the 400m title on Monday, earned the bronze.Phelps has now won two gold here and has another six races left as he prepares himself for an attempt to break Mark Spitz’s record seven gold set at the 1972 Munich Olympics at the Beijing Games next year.Coughlin, the Athens Olympic champion, won her first gold medal of the meet swimming the first 50m in 28.30sec to held a decisive break over the fast-finishing Laure Manaudou of France down the final lap.Manaudou finished in 59.87, a new European record, to become only the second swimmer in history after Coughlin to go under one minute.Japan’s Reiko Namamura took the bronze.Peirsol captured his third consecutive world 100m backstroke crown and in the process became the first man to go under 53 seconds, with teammate Ryan Lochte (53.50) second and Britain’s Liam Tancock (53.61) third.Ziegler led from the start in the 1500m, holding off a late charge fom Swiss swimmer Flavia Rigamonti to hit the wall in 15:53.05, the second fastest time ever swum and just under one second off Evans’ mark.Japan’s Ai Shibata was third but a tired Manaudou, swimming after her backstroke heroics, faded badly to finish last.Nampa-AFPNot to be outdone, Coughlin followed it up with a stunning swim to crack her own five-year-old world record of 59.58 in the 100m backstroke She held off French superstar Laure Manaudou to blitz the field and touch in 59.44.Peirsol joined in the frenzy by breaking his own 100m backstroke world record in a time of 52.98, bettering the 53.17 he set in Indianapolis in April 2005.On a remarkable night, Pellegrini then stunned the crowd by storming through her 200m freestyle heat in 1:56.47 to shave Franziska Van Almsick’s record (1:56.64) that had stood since 2002.Another American Kate Ziegler was under world record pace for the first 1 000m of the 1500m freestyle before tiring to just miss the oldest world mark still standing, set by Janet Evans in 1988.Australia’s Leisel Jones grabbed the final gold of the session in the 100m breaststroke with her time of 1:05.72 the second fastest in history.America’s Tara Kirk was second and Ukraine’s Anna Khlistunova third.Phelps’ battle with former Olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenband was always going to be a highlight of the meet and it didn’t disappoint.The 21-year-old American dictated the race and was below world record pace throughout, pulling away from the Dutchman in the last 50m for one of his greatest ever swims.Emerging star Park Tae-hwan of South Korea, who won the 400m title on Monday, earned the bronze.Phelps has now won two gold here and has another six races left as he prepares himself for an attempt to break Mark Spitz’s record seven gold set at the 1972 Munich Olympics at the Beijing Games next year.Coughlin, the Athens Olympic champion, won her first gold medal of the meet swimming the first 50m in 28.30sec to held a decisive break over the fast-finishing Laure Manaudou of France down the final lap.Manaudou finished in 59.87, a new European record, to become only the second swimmer in history after Coughlin to go under one minute.Japan’s Reiko Namamura took the bronze.Peirsol captured his third consecutive world 100m backstroke crown and in the process became the first man to go under 53 seconds, with teammate Ryan Lochte (53.50) second and Britain’s Liam Tancock (53.61) third.Ziegler led from the start in the 1500m, holding off a late charge fom Swiss swimmer Flavia Rigamonti to hit the wall in 15:53.05, the second fastest time ever swum and just under one second off Evans’ mark.Japan’s Ai Shibata was third but a tired Manaudou, swimming after her backstroke heroics, faded badly to finish last.Nampa-AFP