Two world records tumble at World Swimming C'ships

Montreal, Canada Monday, South African veteran Roland Schoeman and US newcomer Jess Hardy surprised themselves with world record performances at the 11th World Swimming Championships on Monday.

Schoeman, a treble medallist at the Athens Olympics last year whose resume includes Commonwealth Games gold and silver and a 2001 world championship bronze, broke the 50m butterfly world record for the second time in as many days as he captured the gold in 22.96sec.

The 25-year-old became the first South African to capture a world swimming title. Hardy, 18 and swimming in her first international meet, knocked 17-hundredths of a second off the women's 100m breaststroke world record in winning her semi-final in 1:06.20.

She beat the previous world record of 1:06.37 held by Australian Leisel Jones, who won the second semi-final in 1:06.93.

Hardy said she had no expectation of such a time and no realization during the race that she was even on pace for the feat.

"Definitely a shock, an awesome shock," she said. Jones, who had set the world mark in the semi-finals of the 2003 world championships then ended up with only bronze in the final, admitted she was surprised as well.

"It's a little upsetting," Jones said.

In the final they'll both have to contend with two-time defending world champion and Athens Olympic gold medallist Luo Xuejuan of China.

After a so-so morning swim, Luo posted the fifth-fastest semi-final time to keep her title defence alive. Schoeman said he was surprised to improve his world mark in a final, where pursuit of the gold takes precedence over time.

"I always think it's hard coming into a final of an event - you've got Ian Crocker, a world record-holder, a lot of seasoned campaigners. Swimming your best time in a final is unexpected," he said.

Nonetheless, he improved on the world record of 23.01 he established in the semi-finals on Monday.

Crocker, the former 50m fly world record-holder who holds the 100m fly world mark, finished second in 23.12sec, and Ukrainian Sergiy Breus was third in a European record of 23.38.

"I knew the race was going to be won in the first 15 meters," Crocker said. "My goal was to get off the blocks as quickly as possible. I am a little disappointed I wasn't able to get the world record, but it was my best time and I can't complain about that."

There was no world record improvement for Brendan Hansen in the men's 100m butterfly, but there was something he wanted even more: a triumph over Kosuke Kitajima after falling to the Japanese in the 100m breaststroke in Athens.

"The extra thing I had tonight was definitely emotion," said Hansen, who held off Kitajima in the final 50m to win in a championships record of 59.37sec. It was barely outside his own world record of 59.30, but all that mattered to Hansen was that it was 16-hundredths of a second faster than Kitajima.

"When you get beat in front of a crowd like I did last summer, and come out here in the same situation, in the same block, it was like giving me a second chance," Hansen said. "I didn't want to screw it up twice."

Hansen said he avoided being lured into swimming a race dictated by Kitajima, which he believes cost him in Athens.

"I felt like a horse in the Kentucky Derby," Hansen said. "I didn't even look either side of me."

In the other two finals on the second night of swimming competition, American Katie Hoff also expunged the memory of Olympic disappointment in Athens with a victory in the 200m individual medley.

Hoff won in a championships record of 2:10.41, ahead of Olympic backstroke gold medallist Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe (2:11.13) and Australian Lara Carroll (2:13.32).

Jess Schipper made sure Australia's women got their hands on some gold, winning the 100m butterfly in a championships record of 57.23sec. Compatriot Lisbeth Lenton was second in 57.37 and Poland's Otylia Jedrzejczak - who won 200m butterfly gold and 100m silver in Athens - was third in 58.57.

The night's world records stole the spotlight from American superstar Michael Phelps, who eased into the final of the 200m freestyle with the top semi-final time of 1:46.33.

Italian Emiliano Brenbilla was second-quickest in 1:47.37, followed by Australians Nicholas Sprenger and Grant Hackett.

Backstroke world record-holders Aaron Peirsol and Natalie Coughlin of the United States also cruised through their respective 100m semi-finals. Coughlin topped the times ahead of Germany's Antje Buschschulte while Peirsol led teammate Randall Bal and Japan's Tomomi Morita into Tuesday's final.