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Phelps sets fourth world record
Barcelona, July 26: American Michael Phelps set his fourth world record at the world swimming championships in Spain after winning gold in the men`s 200 metres individual medley
Barcelona, July 26: American Michael Phelps set his fourth world record at the world swimming championships in Spain after winning gold in the men's 200 metres individual medley
American Michael Phelps broke two world records within the space of an hour at the world swimming championships on Friday (July 25).
Phelps broke his own record in the 200 metres individual medley in the final to win gold when he clocked one minute 56:04 seconds, less than an hour after he broke the 100 butterfly record that had been set five minutes earlier.
The 18-year-old American smashed Ukraine's Andriy Serdinov 51.76 seconds set in the first semi-final of the men's 100 metres butterfly, which had beaten the 51.81 set by Australia's Michael Klim in 1999, when he clocked 51.47 seconds in the second semi-final at the Palau Sant Jordi pool.
Phelps had also broken the 200 butterfly record on Tuesday (July 25) and the 200 individual medley record when he clocked 1:57.52 on Thursday.
American Amanda Beard equalled the women's 200 metres breaststroke world record, coming through on the last length of the final to win the title at the world swimming championships on Friday.
Australia's Leisel Jones took the field out at a breakneck pace and was almost a full second inside world record pace at 50 metres but Beard, double Olympic silver medallist in 1996, swept past her on the final length.
She touched down in two minutes 22.99 seconds to equal the world mark set by China's Qi Hui in Huangzhou in April 2001. Jones, who set a world record in the 100 breaststroke semi-finals earlier this week but ended up with the bronze in the final of that event, took the 200 silver in 2:24.33.
Qi, silver medallist at the 2001 worlds, took the bronze in 2:25.78 as Beard took a share of the Chinese swimmer's world record and the gold to add to her silver medal from Tuesday's 100 breaststroke,
Olympic and defending world champion Agnes Kovacs of Hungary failed to qualify for the final. Hanna-Maria Seppala became the first Finnish woman to win a world swimming title with a well-earned victory in the 100 metres freestyle final on Friday.
Former European junior champion Seppala, fastest in Thursday's heats and semi-finals, led at the turn and held on to win in 54.37 seconds from Australia's Commonwealth champion Jodie Henry, who took the silver in 54.58.
American Jenny Thompson, the 1998 world 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly champion, took her aggregate tally of world medals to 12 -- seven gold, three silver and two bronze by taking third place in 54.65.
It was Thompson's third medal this week following her two golds in the 4x100 freestyle relay and the 100 butterfly. Olympic champion Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands, competing only in the 50 butterfly and 50 freestyle in Barcelona, did not defend the 100 freestyle title she won at the 2001 world championships.
Selected results Men's 200 metres individual medley final 1. Michael Phelps (U.S.) one minute 56.04 seconds (world record) 2. Ian Thorpe (Australia) 1:59.66 3. Massimiliano Rosolino (Italy) 1:59.71 4. Jani Sievinen (Finland) 1:59.98 5. George R Bovell (Trinidad) 2:00.06 6. Takahiro Mori (Japan) 2:01.29 7. Kevin Clements (U.S.) 2:01.51 8. Brian Johns (Canada) 2:01.62
Selected results Men's 100 metres butterfly semifinals 1. Michael Phelps (U.S.) 51.47 seconds (world record) 2. Andriy Serdinov (Ukraine) 51.76 3. Ian Crocker (U.S.) 52.21 4. Thomas Rupprath (Germany) 52.37 5. Igor Marchenko (Russia) 52.44 6. Franck Esposito (France) 52.49 7= Evgueni Korotychkine (Russia) 52.55 7= Takashi Yamamoto (Japan) 52.55
Women's 200 metres breaststroke final 1. Amanda Beard (U.S.) 2:22.99 (world record) 2. Leisel Jones (Australia) 2:24.33 3. Hui Qi (China) 2:25.78 4. Anne Poleska (Germany) 2:26.35 5. Mirna Jukic (Austria) 2:26.38 6. Sara Poewe (Germany) 2:26.72 7. Masami Tanaka (Japan) 2:28.55 8. Diana Remenyi (Hungary) 2:29.20
Women's 100 metres freestyle final 1. Hanna-Maria Seppala (Finland) 54.37 2. Jodie Henry (Australia) 54.58 3. Jenny Thompson (U.S.) 54.65 4. Alena Popchanka (Belarus) 54.79 5. Lisbeth Lenton (Australia) 54.82 6. Martina Moracova (Slovakia) 54.86 7. Antje Buschschulte (Germany) 54.91 8. Marleen Veldhuis (Netherlands) 55.17
Bureau Report
American Amanda Beard equalled the women's 200 metres breaststroke world record, coming through on the last length of the final to win the title at the world swimming championships on Friday.
Australia's Leisel Jones took the field out at a breakneck pace and was almost a full second inside world record pace at 50 metres but Beard, double Olympic silver medallist in 1996, swept past her on the final length.
She touched down in two minutes 22.99 seconds to equal the world mark set by China's Qi Hui in Huangzhou in April 2001. Jones, who set a world record in the 100 breaststroke semi-finals earlier this week but ended up with the bronze in the final of that event, took the 200 silver in 2:24.33.
Qi, silver medallist at the 2001 worlds, took the bronze in 2:25.78 as Beard took a share of the Chinese swimmer's world record and the gold to add to her silver medal from Tuesday's 100 breaststroke,
Olympic and defending world champion Agnes Kovacs of Hungary failed to qualify for the final. Hanna-Maria Seppala became the first Finnish woman to win a world swimming title with a well-earned victory in the 100 metres freestyle final on Friday.
Former European junior champion Seppala, fastest in Thursday's heats and semi-finals, led at the turn and held on to win in 54.37 seconds from Australia's Commonwealth champion Jodie Henry, who took the silver in 54.58.
American Jenny Thompson, the 1998 world 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly champion, took her aggregate tally of world medals to 12 -- seven gold, three silver and two bronze by taking third place in 54.65.
It was Thompson's third medal this week following her two golds in the 4x100 freestyle relay and the 100 butterfly. Olympic champion Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands, competing only in the 50 butterfly and 50 freestyle in Barcelona, did not defend the 100 freestyle title she won at the 2001 world championships.
Selected results Men's 200 metres individual medley final 1. Michael Phelps (U.S.) one minute 56.04 seconds (world record) 2. Ian Thorpe (Australia) 1:59.66 3. Massimiliano Rosolino (Italy) 1:59.71 4. Jani Sievinen (Finland) 1:59.98 5. George R Bovell (Trinidad) 2:00.06 6. Takahiro Mori (Japan) 2:01.29 7. Kevin Clements (U.S.) 2:01.51 8. Brian Johns (Canada) 2:01.62
Selected results Men's 100 metres butterfly semifinals 1. Michael Phelps (U.S.) 51.47 seconds (world record) 2. Andriy Serdinov (Ukraine) 51.76 3. Ian Crocker (U.S.) 52.21 4. Thomas Rupprath (Germany) 52.37 5. Igor Marchenko (Russia) 52.44 6. Franck Esposito (France) 52.49 7= Evgueni Korotychkine (Russia) 52.55 7= Takashi Yamamoto (Japan) 52.55
Women's 200 metres breaststroke final 1. Amanda Beard (U.S.) 2:22.99 (world record) 2. Leisel Jones (Australia) 2:24.33 3. Hui Qi (China) 2:25.78 4. Anne Poleska (Germany) 2:26.35 5. Mirna Jukic (Austria) 2:26.38 6. Sara Poewe (Germany) 2:26.72 7. Masami Tanaka (Japan) 2:28.55 8. Diana Remenyi (Hungary) 2:29.20
Women's 100 metres freestyle final 1. Hanna-Maria Seppala (Finland) 54.37 2. Jodie Henry (Australia) 54.58 3. Jenny Thompson (U.S.) 54.65 4. Alena Popchanka (Belarus) 54.79 5. Lisbeth Lenton (Australia) 54.82 6. Martina Moracova (Slovakia) 54.86 7. Antje Buschschulte (Germany) 54.91 8. Marleen Veldhuis (Netherlands) 55.17
Bureau Report