A total of 13 world records were set and one world record was equalled in the 10th World Swimming Championship in Barcelona. American Michael Phelps set five while Japan's Kosuke Kitajima improved two records. Australian Leisel Jones and Matthew Welsh, American Ian Crocker, Ukraine's Andrii Serdinov, Germany's Thomas Rupprath set one record each. The American relay team bettered one record while Amanda Beard of the United States equalled a record.
The following are the records at a glance:Australian Matthew Welsh established a new world record in winning the 50-metre butterfly gold. Welsh covered his single swim down the pool in 23.43 seconds, beating the old record of 23.44 seconds set by fellow Australian Geoff Huegill at the last World championship at Fukuoka, Japan in 2001.
Leisel Jones of Australia clocked 1:06.37 in the second semi-final heats of the women's 100-metre breastroke, beating the old record of 1:06.52 set in 1999 by Penelope Heyns of South Africa.
Japan's Kosuke Kitajima set a new world record in men's 100-metre breaststroke in a time of 59.78 seconds eclipsing the old record of 59.94 seconds held by Roman Sloudnov of Russia set at Fukuoka in 2001. Kosuke Kitajima's second record came in the 200-metre breaststroke. He won the gold medal in a record time of 2 minutes 9.42 seconds. Dmitri Komornikov held the previous record. Komornikov took 2 minutes 9.52 seconds at the same venue last month.
Michael Phelps of United States smashed his own men's 200-metre butterfly record in the semi-finals. Phelps recorded a time of one minute 53.93 seconds beating his previous best of 1:53.93 by over half a second.
In the 100-metre butterfly semifinals, Ukarine's Andrii Serdinov set a new record in a time of 51.76 seconds which was broken five minutes later in the second semi finals by Phelps who clocked 51.47 seconds.
Phelps improved his own record in the 200-metre individual medley by clocking one minute 57.52 seconds in the semi-finals. His old mark of 1 minute 57.94 seconds was set in Santa Crara, United States in June this year. He bettered his mark again in the final by winning the event in 1 minute 56.04 seconds.
Ian Crocker's time of 50.98 seconds in the 100 metre butterfly eclipsed the previous record of 51.47 set by Phelps in the semifinals heat. It was Crocker's first ever world record.
Germany's Thomas Rupprath lowered the men's 50-metre backstroke. The European champion hurtled through the one-length race in 24.80 seconds to beat the 24.99 seconds mark set by American Lenny Krayzelburg at Sydney in August 1999.
Phelps smashed his own record on his way to victory in the men's 400-metre individual medley. He clocked 4 minute 9.09 seconds to break the previous mark of 4:10.73 set at Indianapolis on April 6, 2003.
United States' relay team, comprising of Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Ian Crocker and Jason Jezak, set 4x100 metres medley relay record in 3:31.54, down from the 3.33.48 set by another American quartet which included Michael Phelps in Yokohama last year.
American Amanda Beard while winning the 200-metre breaststroke (2 minutes 22.99 seconds), equalled China's Qi Hui's mark established two years ago.
S. Pervez Qaiser
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