PREVIEW: Back to the basics at swimming worlds in Shanghai

By Peter Auf der Heyde Jul 21, 2011, 9:14 GMT

Shanghai - An incredible 43 world records were broken at the last world championships in Rome two years ago - a feat that will definitely not be repeated this time around in Shanghai.

The records broken in Rome more than doubled the previous best mark set in the inaugural championships in Belgrade in 1973, when 18 records were broken.

After Rome the sport's governing body FINA banned the performance-enhancing high-tech costumes made of polyurethane and neoprene, which were believed to be the main reason for the flood of records and restricted the length of the costumes.

Since then, world records have all but dried up and American Ryan Lochte was the only swimmer who last year managed to break an individual world record, when he won gold in the 400 metre individual medley at the short course world championships in Dubai.

Lochte, who is entered in six events for Shanghai and will take on his friend and compatriot Michael Phelps in the 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley, is confident that notwithstanding the ban on high-tech suits, records will fall at the swimming competition, which starts Sunday at the July 17 - 31 championships.

'Records are meant to be broken, it doesn't matter what kind of suit you are in,' he said.

One of the records that could fall is the men's 1,500m freestyle, where Chinese youngster Sun Yang, who came agonizingly close to breaking Australian Grant Hackett's record at the Asian Games.

Surprisingly though Sun is not too concerned about the event, focusing on the 400m instead. 'During training in Australia early this year, I focused on short-distance events. Compared with the 800m and 1,500m, I want the 400m gold more.'

One of his main rivals will be South Korean Olympic champion Park Tae-hwan, who bombed out in Rome two years ago, but seems to be peaking again at the right time.

Just before arriving in Shanghai, he won three races at the Santa Clara Grand Prix, beating American superstar Phelps in the 100m freestyle - the first time he has beaten the 14-time Olympic champion.

Phelps has said that he sees the world championships as a major stepping stone towards the London Olympics next year, which he has said will be his last.

It is a view shared by Chinese coach Yao Zhengjie, who is hoping that his swimmers continue on the path they started in Rome two years ago, where they won four gold medals, two silver and four bronze.

'The Shanghai Worlds is the biggest competition before the 2012 London Games, so it is a good chance to get the swimmers ready,' he said.

A good showing in the swimming competition will be important for the hosts if they are to achieve their goal of taking over the top spot from the Americans in the overall medal standings.

In Rome the US won 11 golds, 11 silvers and 7 bronze, while China took 11-7-11, but with a clean sweep of six out of six gold medals in the opening diving events earlier this week, China are well on their way.

But from Sunday, most of the focus will be on the swimming competition and with the London Olympics looming large on the horizon, the world championships are expected to show where the American superstars like Phelps and Lochte stand and whether they can continue to dominate world swimming as they have in the past.