Silver for Thorpe as Phelps takes records

July 27, 2003 — 10.00am

American star Michael Phelps claimed the 200m individual medley title in dramatic fashion here today by breaking his own world record for the second time in as many days and less than an hour after he set a new mark in the 100m butterfly.

Phelps clocked 1:56.04 to smash the previous best of 1:57.52 he set yesterday which had bettered the 1:57.94 he achieved in Santa Clara on June 29.

Australian Ian Thorpe had to settle for silver in 1:59.66, with the bronze going to Olympic and world champion Massimiliano Rossi of Italy in 1:59.71.

It was the fourth world record here for the 18-year-old American, who earlier clocked 51.47 in the butterfly - just minutes after Andrii Serdinov of the Ukraine had set a new world mark of 51.76 in the semi-finals.

Phelps, who also holds the record for the 400m medley, also broke his own 200m butterfly mark on his way to successfully defending that title.

US teammate Amanda Beard matched the world record on her way to taking the 200m breaststroke gold, as Aaron Peirsol kept the American flag flying by completing the backstroke double by winning the 200m.

It was the first major title for the 21-year-old Beard who timed 2:22.99 to match the previous best set by China's Qi Hui in China in April 2001.

"My coach called it a perfect race and you can't get better than that," said Beard who pushed Leisel Jones of Australia into silver in 2:24.33 with the bronze going to Qi in 2:25.78.

Defending champion Peirsol added the 200m backstroke title to the 100m he won earlier in the week.

Olympic runner-up Peirsol timed 1:55.92 to come in ahead of Gordan Kozulj of Croatia in 1:57.42 with the bronze going to Simon Dufour of France in 1:57.90.

Earlier Grant Hackett won the men's 800m freestyle title while Hanna-Maria Seppala gave Finland their first ever women's title in the 100m freestyle.

Hackett, runner-up last time, claimed the title which Thorpe was not defending this year.

He had been under Thorpe's world record at the 500m mark but timed 7min 43.82sec to come in ahead of Larsen Jensen of the United States in 7:48.09 with the bronze going to Ihor Chervynskyi of the Ukraine in 7:53.15.

It is the second gold here for 23-year-old Hackett, who won the 4x200m freestyle title, and also took silver in the 200m and 400m freestyle behind Thorpe.

Hackett, who has now won six world golds in his career, is bidding to win a third consecutive 1500m title on Sunday.

Meanwhile, eighteen-year-old Seppala earned her first title after finishing just 11th in the event at last year's Europeans, and 16th at the world championships in Japan two years ago.

In the absence of defending world and Olympic champion Inge de Bruijn, who failed to qualify for the event, the Dallas-based Finn timed 54.37 to come in ahead of Jodie Henry of Australia in 54.58.

American veteran Jenny Thompson took bronze in 54.65.

It is the third medal here for former 100m freestyle champion Thompson who also won gold in the 100m fly and 4x100m freestyle relay.

As a result of her podium place, the 30-year-old overtakes Matt Biondi as the greatest American at world championships with 12 medals - seven gold, three silver and two bronze to Biondi's 11 - six gold, two silver and three bronze.