New 200m mark for Phelps
Michael Phelps has smashed Ian Thorpe's world 200m freestyle record, recording a time of one minute 43.86 seconds to defend his world title at the 12th FINA World Championships.
The expected battle between Phelps and Dutchman Pieter Van Den Hoogenband did not eventuate, with the American blowing the 2000 Olympic gold medallist away in the final 100 metres of the race.
In the end, the biggest battle was between Phelps and the clock, and the American sensation won out, breaking the championship and world mark set by the Australian in the 2001 world championships in Fukuoka by 0.20 of a second
He becomes the first swimmer to set a new world mark in the Susie O'Neill Pool, and adds this gold to the one he won in the men's 4 x 100m relay. Already the most successful swimmer in world championships history before this event, Phelps has now built the foundation of a championships that could yield eight gold medals.
It was clear from very early that Phelps was on target for the record, having gone 0.34 under Thorpe's record split for the first 50m. By halfway, the gap between the Phelps and world record pace was 0.45 in the American's favour and by the time he made his final turn, he was 0.57 under the split. While he failed to match Thorpe's final 50m split from six years ago, he did enough to break the old mark.
Van Den Hoogenband was some 2.42 seconds behind, claiming silver as his world championship gold medal drought rolled on, while 400m gold medallist Tae Hwan Park was 0.45 of a second further back in third.
Australian Kendrick Monk was fourth, just in front of Massimiliano Rosolino of Italy. China's Lin Zhang was sixth, Germany's Paul Biedermann was seventh, while Italy's Nicola Cassio was eighth.
The expected battle between Phelps and Dutchman Pieter Van Den Hoogenband did not eventuate, with the American blowing the 2000 Olympic gold medallist away in the final 100 metres of the race.
In the end, the biggest battle was between Phelps and the clock, and the American sensation won out, breaking the championship and world mark set by the Australian in the 2001 world championships in Fukuoka by 0.20 of a second
He becomes the first swimmer to set a new world mark in the Susie O'Neill Pool, and adds this gold to the one he won in the men's 4 x 100m relay. Already the most successful swimmer in world championships history before this event, Phelps has now built the foundation of a championships that could yield eight gold medals.
It was clear from very early that Phelps was on target for the record, having gone 0.34 under Thorpe's record split for the first 50m. By halfway, the gap between the Phelps and world record pace was 0.45 in the American's favour and by the time he made his final turn, he was 0.57 under the split. While he failed to match Thorpe's final 50m split from six years ago, he did enough to break the old mark.
Van Den Hoogenband was some 2.42 seconds behind, claiming silver as his world championship gold medal drought rolled on, while 400m gold medallist Tae Hwan Park was 0.45 of a second further back in third.
Australian Kendrick Monk was fourth, just in front of Massimiliano Rosolino of Italy. China's Lin Zhang was sixth, Germany's Paul Biedermann was seventh, while Italy's Nicola Cassio was eighth.