Federica Pellegrini clocked 1:55.45 at Beijing 2008 prelims today, to erase the former mark of 1:55.55, held by Laure Manaudou. Source: SwimInfo
Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe set a new world record in the 100 back semifinal with a time of 58.77. Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima became the first man under 59 seconds in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 58.91. And Eamon Sullivan led off Australia’s 4×100 freestyle relay with a 100 free world record time of 47.24, in a blistering race where 5 teams went under the 4×100 world record mark from yesterday, and USA just barely overtook France at the finish to claim the gold and world record time of 3:08.24.
The American team of Nathan Adrian, Cullen Jones, Ben Wildman-Tobriner and Matt Grevers took down the world record from the 3:12.46 set by USA in 2006, to 3:12.23 this morning.
Source: SwimInfo
Both 400 IM world records were bettered at the 2008 Olympics yesterday, when first USA’s Michael Phelps swam 4:03.84, smashing his own world record of 4:05.25 from the U.S. Olympic Trials, and Australia’s Stephanie Rice swam 4:29.45, more than half a second faster than the 4:31.12 of Katie Hoff from the U.S. Trials.
Grant Hackett bettered his own 800 free short course world record yesterday, from 7:25.28 to 7:23.42, at the Victorian Championships in Victoria, Australia. Source: SwimInfo.
On July 5th, Margaret Hoelzer set a new 200 meter backstroke world record with the time of 2:06.09, beating Kirsty Coventry’s world standard of 2:06.39 from February.
Source: SwimInfo
The agency is studying Viagra’s effects in athletes, but hasn’t yet banned it. Viagra is not on the International Olympic Committee’s list of prohibited drugs, so athletes can take it at the Beijing Olympics.
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First Hayley McGregory bettered the 100 Backstroke of Natalie Coughlin with a 59.15 (Coughlin’s WR was 59.21), and then Coughlin took it back in the next heat with a 59.03.
Couchlin’s own comments after the swim