Phelps breaks own record to retain title

Rome: Michael Phelps returned to the winner’s circle yesterday with a world record-setting triumph in the men’s 200m butterfly at the swimming World Championships.
The 14-time Olympic gold medallist suffered a shock defeat in the 200m free on Tuesday, when Germany’s Paul Biedermann took both his world title and world record.
But Phelps responded in the fly, leading from start to finish and winning in 1min 51.51sec.
That improved on the world record of 1:52.03 that he set in winning Olympic gold in Beijing on August 13, 2008, part of his unprecedented eight-gold haul in China.
The 24-year-old American, who had seemed non-plussed by his first defeat in world and Olympic competition since 2005, knew just what to do after the victory, raising both arms in celebration as he stood on the deck to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd.
Japan’s Takeshi Matsuda was lying second to Phelps until the final lap, when he was overtaken by Poland’s Pawel Korzeniowski. Korzeniowski snatched the silver in 1:53.23 and Matsuda settled for bronze in 1:53.32.
Italy’s Federica Pellegrini smashed her own world record to win the women’s 200 metres freestyle yesterday and complete a golden double at the swimming world championships.
The 20-year-old Olympic champion powered away from her rivals in the second half of the race to win with a time of one minute 52.98 seconds, beating the mark of 1:53.67 she set in Tuesday’s semis and sending the home crowd into raptures.
Allison Schmitt of the United States was almost two seconds behind in second place and her compatriot Dana Vollmer took the bronze medal.
“I cried today before the start of the race because I felt tired,” said a visibly emotional Pellegrini, who also lowered her own world best when charging to victory in the 400 freestyle on Sunday.
“But I have to say I surprised myself. I thought I do one hundredth of a second less than yesterday.” Van Der Burgh also notched his second world record in as many days with his triumph in the 50m breaststroke in 26.67. He had set the previous record of 26.74 in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
The women’s 50m backstroke semi-finals saw the world record fall twice in the blink of an eye.
No sooner had Daniela Samulski of Germany lowered her own world mark with a time of 27.39 in the first semi, than Russian Anastasia Zueva one-upped her with a world record of 27.38 in the second semi-final. - AFP