Record breaker

Phelps sets fifth world best at swimming championships

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -- Michael Phelps surpassed Mark Spitz for most world records set in individual events at a single swim meet on Sunday, the final day of the World Swimming Championships.

The 18-year-old American set his fifth world mark in an individual event by clocking 4 minutes, 9.09 seconds in the 400-meter individual medley, bettering his old world mark of 4:10.73 set earlier this year.

Spitz set records in four individual events. He was also on three record-setting relays.

Earlier in the week, Phelps set new world standards in the 100 and 200 butterfly and 200 individual medley (twice).

At the 1972 Munich Olympics, Spitz established four world records.

"I left everything in the pool," Phelps said after his swim. "I don't have a drop of energy left."

Another world record was set Sunday by Germany's Thomas Rupprath in the 50 backstroke.

Two other world records were also set Sunday.

The American team of Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hanson, Ian Crocker and Jason Lezak set a new standard in the 400 individual medley relay and Germany's Thomas Rupprath established a new mark in the 50 backstroke.

In all, 13 world records were set in the championships. One other world mark was tied.

Australia's Grant Hackett became the first swimmer to win three straight world titles in the 1,500 freestyle and Dutch sprinter Inge De Bruijn won her second gold medal of the championships in the women's 50 freestyle.

Laszlo Cseh of Hungary (4:10.79) took the silver medal behind Phelps and Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia (4:15.36) claimed the bronze medal.

Rupprath's time of 24.80 in the 50 backstroke eclipsed the previous world mark of 24.99 set by Lenny Krayzelburg of the United States in 1999. It was the first world championship or Olympic gold medal for the 26-year-old Rupprath.

Matthew Welsh of Australia (25.01) took the silver medal and Johannes Gerhardus Zandberg of South Africa (25.07) took the bronze medal.

Krayzelburg is recovering from shoulder surgery and is not competing in these championships.

Hackett's gold-medal winning time in the 1,500 freestyle was 14:43.14, nearly 10 seconds off his world record time of 14:34.56 established at the 2001 worlds in Fukuoka, Japan.

While Hackett was way ahead of everyone else, there was a close race for the silver medal. Igor Chervynskiy of Ukraine won that battle in 15:01.04, just ahead of bronze medalist Erik Vendt of the United States (15:01.28).

De Bruijn won the 50 freestyle in 24.47, slightly off her world record-time of 24.13 set at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Alice Mills (25.07) took the silver medal and fellow Australian Lisbeth Lenton (25.08) followed right behind for the bronze medal. Eight-time Olympic champion Jenny Thompson of the United States (25.10) finished fourth.

China's Luo Xuejuan won the gold medal in the women's 50 breaststroke. Luo's time of 30.67 beat silver medalist Brooke Hanson of Australia (30.67) and British bronze medalist Zoe Baker (31.37).

Baker set the world record of 30.57 last year.

 

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