The Hindu : Sport / Swimming : Aaron Peirsol regains 200m backstroke title in record time

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Aaron Peirsol regains 200m backstroke title in record time

Steffen breaks women’s 100m freestyle record; U.S. quartet bags gold

— PHOTO: AFP

ON CLOUD NINE: Germany’s Britta Steffen rejoices after winning the women’s 100m freestyle gold in the World championships in Rome on Friday.

ROME: Aaron Peirsol regained the 200m backstroke title at the World swimming championships here on Friday. His World record-smashing swim erased the memory of his failure to reach the 100m backstroke final.

Peirsol’s time of 1min 51.92sec obliterated his own World record of 1:53.08 that he set at the U.S. championships in Indianapolis on July 11.

Japan’s Ryosuke Irie was second in 1:52.51, and 2007 champion Ryan Lochte of the United States was third in 1:53.82.

Although Peirsol came into the race as the World record-holder, Irie notched up the fastest time ever swum with a 1:52.86 in Canberra this year. It wasn’t ratified as a record because he wore an unapproved suit.

Peirsol simply skipped over the entire 1:52s en route to reclaiming the world title he lost to Lochte in Melbourne in 2007.

“My 200, I’ve been struggling to get faster for a few years now and kind of when it rains it pours,” Peirsol said.

Germany’s Britta Steffen won the women’s 100m freestyle title in a World record of 52.07sec.

Steffen broke the previous record of 52.22 that she set in leading Germany’s silver medal-winning 4x100m free relay here on Sunday.

Britain’s Fran Halsall earned silver in 52.87 and Australian Libby Trickett was third in 52.93.

The 25-year-old had already held the world mark coming into the championships, a 52.56 set in Berlin on June 27.

Serbia’s Nadja Higl won the women’s 200m breaststroke title, coming from behind to win in 2min 21.62sec.

Canadian Annamay Pierse, who set the world record of 2:20.12 in the semifinals on Thursday, took silver in 2:21.84 and Austria’s Mirna Jukic was third in 2:21.97.

Gyurta wins gold

Daniel Gyurta of Hungary won the men’s 200m breaststroke world title here on Friday by one one-hundredth of a second over American Eric Shanteau.

Gyurta clocked 2min 07.64sec, edging Shanteau who finished in 2:07.65. Lithuania’s Giedrius Titenis was third in 2:07.80.

The United States won the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay World title in a record of 6min 58.55sec. The American squad of Michael Phelps, Ricky Berens, David Walters and Ryan Lochte shaved one-hundredth of a second off the previous record of 6:58.56 set by a similar US lineup — lacking only Walters — in winning Olympic gold in Beijing.

Russia finished second in 6:59.15 and Australia took bronze in 7:01.65.

The results (all finals):

Men: 200m backstroke: 1. Aaron Peirsol (U.S.) 1:51.92 (WR); 2. Ryosuke Irie (Jap) 1:52.51; 3. Ryan Lochte (U.S.) 1:53.82.

200m breaststroke: 1. Daniel Gyurta (Hun) 2min 07.64s; 2. Eric Shanteau (U.S.) 2:07.65; 3. Giedrius Titenis (Lit) 2:07.80.

4x200m freestyle relay: 1. U.S. 6min 58.55s (WR); 2. Russia 6:59.15; 3. Australia 7:01.65.

Women: 100m freestyle: 1. Britta Steffen (Ger) 52.07sec (WR); 2. Fran Halsall (GBr) 52.87; Libby Trickett (Aus) 52.93.

200m breaststroke: 1. Nadja Higl (Ser) 2 min 21.62s; 2. Annamay Pierse (Can) 2:21.84; 3. Mirna Jukic (Aus) 2:21.97.

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