Leisel sets world mark
By Rebecca Williams
November 29, 2003
LEISEL JONES notched up her second world record for the year in the women's 100m breaststroke at the FINA World Cup in Melbourne last night.
Jones, who broke the world record in the 100m breaststroke at the world championships in Barcelona, clocked 1:05.09 to slice 0.46sec off the previous mark set by Sweden's Emma Igelstrom in 2002.
Brooke Hanson finished second in 1:05.45, the third fastest time in history. American Amanda Beard was third in 1:06.
Jones cast aside doubts about her short-course ability.
"I've never been terribly confident swimming short course, but now I like it," Jones said.
"This will give me a lot of confidence."
Petria Thomas continued her remarkable comeback when she broke her own Australian record in the 50m butterfly.
Thomas shaved .16sec off the 2002 short-course mark she set in Moscow to win in 26.20sec ahead of Swedish world record holder Anna-Karin Kammerling (26.32sec) at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
Queensland's Libby Lenton finished third in 26.52sec.
The victory followed from Thomas's dream return to competition at the Skins in Sydney on Wednesday night.
In her first serious hit-out since shoulder surgery in April, Thomas looked like she had never been out of the water as she surpassed expectations with victory in the sprint butterfly and the broken 400m freestyle.
With three shoulder reconstructions behind her, Thomas is no stranger to the comeback trail.
Her performances so far this week have no doubt caught the attention of her competitors as she pushes towards an Olympic berth at the trials next March.
American star Michael Phelps added another US record to his belt in the men's 200m butterfly.
Phelps clocked 1:52.27 to cut .70sec off Tom Malchow's 2001 mark.
But the Baltimore teenager was pushed for most of the race by Justin Norris, who finished just outside his Australian record in 1:54.16 to touch the wall in second place.
Andrew Richards was third in 1:56.12.
Phelps has not disappointed since his arrival in Australia, with his victory last night adding to his wins in the sprint butterfly and broken 400m freestyle at the Skins in Sydney. In the absence of world and Olympic 1500m champion Grant Hackett, the internationals dominated the men's 400m freestyle.
Frenchman Nicolas Rostoucher, who upset Hackett in a club meeting on the Gold Coast last weekend, clinched the race in 3:47.03 ahead of Italy's Massi Rosolino (3:43.62) and Australia's Craig Stevens (3:44.18).
Ian Thorpe was forced to withdraw from his race at last night's meet because of illness.
Australian Swimming media manager Ian Hanson said Thorpe had been suffering diarrhoea late yesterday afternoon and was advised by doctors not to compete in his scheduled race - the 100m freestyle final.
Thorpe is scheduled for one other race at this meet - the 50m freestyle tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Grant Hackett's coach Denis Cotterell has cautioned his world 1500m champion against swimming at the World Cup after his pooldeck collapse at the Skins on Wednesday night.
Hackett decided to withdraw from the 400m freestyle last night and it remains unlikely he will compete at the three-day event.
The 23-year-old sent a scare through the Australian camp when he passed out after suffering an asthma attack, which is believed to have been triggered by a chest infection.
