US dominate on night of world records (Roundup)

By Peter Auf der Heyde Mar 27, 2007, 16:15 GMT

Winner Michael Phelps of the USA races in the Men\'s 200 metres butterfly at the World Swimming Championships in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, 27 March 2007. EPA/MARTIN PHILBEY

Melbourne - Michael Phelps, Aaron Peirsol and Natalie Coughlin swam world records as the United States swept the first four gold medals on offer Tuesday at the swimming world championships.

Phelps and Coughlin set world records in consecutive races, with Phelps winning the 200m freestyle, while Coughlin beat her own record in the 100m backstroke.

Peirsol bettered the 100m backstroke world record and Kate Ziegler set a championship record in the 1,500m freestyle.

Italian Federica Pellegrini added another world record in the second semi-final of the women's 200m freestyle, beating Germany's Franziska van Almsick's record of 1 minute 56.64 seconds by 0.17 seconds for a time of 1:56.47.

Germany's Annika Lurz was the second fastest qualifier for the final with 1:56.67, ahead of Poland's Otylia Jedrzejczak, Katie Hoff and Laure Manaudou, who was swimming her third race or the night in less than an hour.

Phelps opened the session when he became the first swimmer to cover the 200m freestyle under 1 minute 44 seconds when he clocked 1:43.86, beating Australian Ian Thorpe's previous best mark by 0.20 seconds.

Phelps, who is hoping for an unprecedented eight gold medals at the championship, led from the start.

Although Pieter Van Den Hoogenband, who finished second in 1:46.28, managed to catch up during each lap, Phelps put at least a metre between him and the Dutchman on each turn.

Third place went to South Korean Park Hwan Tae in 1:46.73.

Phelps said he was disappointed that the recently retired Thorpe was not swimming.

'But swimming against Pieter Van Den Hoogenband forced me to bring out the best. I am pretty happy,' he said.

Coughlin then swam a world record 59.44 seconds in the women's 100m backstroke, beating her own previous mark by 0.14 seconds. Silver went to French star Manaudou in a European record time of 59.87, with Reiko Nakamura of Japan third in 1:00.40.

The American said she did not at first know whether she had swum a world record.

'When I saw my time I didn't see 'world record' next to it, so I was trying to do the math. When I saw it by my name I was pretty excited. I'm glad it was just a little bit so I can break it again,' she said.

She said she was going to take it a bit easy now: 'I have the day off tomorrow so I'm going to relax, rest and take it all in.'

Manaudou was back in the pool less than 30 minutes later after a medal ceremony and two 50m breaststroke heats to swim in the 1,500m freestyle.

She started strongly and was lying second behind Ziegler, but collapsed towards the end and finished a distant eighth behind Ziegler, who won in a championship record time of 15:53.05.

The American was on world record course until 1,200m, when she seemed to tire and allowed Flavia Rigamonti to close the gap.

The Swiss finished second in a European record 15:55.38, while third place went to Ai Shibata of Japan with 15:58.55.

Peirsol did better than Ziegler as far as the world record was concerned, becoming the first swimmer to dip under 53 seconds with a winning time of 52.98 seconds, shaving 0.19 of his previous mark from 2005.

Compatriot Ryan Lochte came second in 53.30 and Briton Liam Tancock took bronze in 53.61 seconds.

Set for later Tuesday was the women's 100m breaststroke.