Americans in world record spree
American swimmers smashed three world records to bring the world short-course championships to a dramatic conclusion on Sunday.
Aaron Peirsol lowered the men's 200 metres backstroke mark, Lindsay Benko bettered the women's 200 metres freestyle record and Peirsol returned to set the U.S. on the way to another world standard in the concluding men's 4x100 metres medley relay.
But Australia finished top of the medals table in the 25-metre Olympiisky pool, claiming two more golds through Ashley Callus and Grant Hackett to take their tally to 10 titles against eight for the Americans.
Sweden's Therese Alshammar had to win the 50 metres freestyle twice to claim her fourth gold of the championships after earlier victories in the 100 freestyle and the 4x100 freestyle and medley relays.
The official appeals' jury ordered a reswim an hour later because a loose screw in the starting-block in lane two, occupied by Australia's Sarah Ryan, had caused the block to move in the original race. But there was no change in the medal positions.
Peirsol won the 200 backstroke by nearly two seconds from Croatia's Marko Strahija, clocking one minute 51.17 seconds to slice 0.45 seconds from the world mark shared by Australia's Matt Welsh and Croatia's Gordan Kozulj, who both failed to make the final. Welsh, a double backstroke champion here, was ill.
Benko, who had won the women's 200 backstroke gold on Friday, scored a resounding victory over defending champion Yang Yu and her Chinese team mate Xu Yanwei in the 200 freestyle.
She won in 1:54.04 to shave 0.13 seconds from the mark set by 1996 Olympic champion Claudia Poll of Costa Rica at the 1997 edition of these championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.
BENKO ELATION
Benko was overwhelmed by a mixture of joy and disbelief when she saw her time on the electronic scoreboard.
"I was hoping to win but never expected it," she said. "I am beside myself with joy."
Peirsol teamed up with David Denniston, Peter Marshall and Jason Lezak to claim the seventh world record of the five-day championships, snatching both the gold and the world mark from the Australians.
They won in 3:29.00 to beat the 3:29.88 time set by Welsh, Phil Rogers, Michael Klim and Chris Fydler at the 1999 championships in Hong Kong. The Australians of 2001 -- even without the ailing Welsh -- were also inside the old time of their compatriots in 3:29.35. But they will prefer to dwell on Sunday's victories.
Callus edged out Alexander Popov's 50 freestyle conqueror Jose Meolans of Argentina in the 100 freestyle and Hackett, who was sick with a virus at the start of the five-day meeting, won the 1500 metres freestyle to repeat the 400 and 1500 double he achieved in Hong Kong three years ago.
Alshammar appeared on the surface unfazed by the reswim and, in a repeat of the medal order of the first race, once again beat Britain's Alison Sheppard to win the gold in 24.16 seconds, shy of the 23.95 she had clocked originally.
Sheppard, closer the second time after leading on the first length, took the silver in 24.28 and American Tammie Stone the bronze in 24.65.
"This should be two gold medals because that's what it's worth," Alshammar, who repeated her sprint double of the 2000 championships in Athens, said. "One race was enough. The reswim was the worst thing to happen. Still, I proved I am the best."
HICKMAN FEAT
Britain's James Hickman became the first swimmer to win the same event at four world championships when he retained his 200 metres butterfly crown with a clearcut victory in 1:53.14, ahead of Australian Olympic bronze medallist Justin Norris (1:54.07).
"I raced strong in my heart and strong in my head," he said.
Qi Hui ended Emma Igelstrom's golden run of three world records in three races -- the 50 and 100 breaststroke and Sweden's 4x100 medley relay -- by winning the 200 breaststroke in 2:20.91. Igelstrom took the silver in 2:21.30.
It was an evening for completing golden doubles for others apart from Benko, Alshammar and Hackett, who kept American Olympic bronze medallist Chris Thompson at bay to win the 1500 by over five seconds in 14:33.94, way outside his 14:10.10 world mark.
Ukraine's Oleg Lisogor won the 50 breaststroke in a championship record 26.42 to go with his 100 breaststroke title, and Slovakia's Martina Moravcova claimed the 100 butterfly gold following her earlier 100 individual medley win.
Jennifer Carroll brought Canada gold, beating American Haley Cope by just 0.06 seconds in the women's 50 backstroke in a championship record 27.38, and Peter Mankoc put Slovenia on top of the podium for the first time by winning the men's 100 individual medley.
