Three US swimmers set world records at FINA World Cup meet

Krayzelburg, who set 100m and 200m backstroke long course world records in the Pan Pacific meet last August at Sydney, set a 200m backstroke world record of 1 minute 52.47 seconds, breaking the old mark of 1:52.51 set by Spain’s Martin Zubero in 1991 at Gainesville, Florida.

Walker won men’s 50m backstroke in 24.12 seconds, breaking the old world record of 24.13 set by Germany’s Thomas Rupprath last December in Sheffield, England, and matched two months ago by Australian Matthew Welsh in Canberra.

All three served notice they will be factors in the quest for gold at next year’s Sydney Olympics, just as they realise even a world mark in a 25-metre pool is a far cry from taking gold at the 2000 summer games.

"I turned a few heads, opened some eyes, but it’s the long course performances that mean Olympic gold and measure Olympic potential," walker said. "I’m on the right path at least. I’ve got a lot of work left to do, a lot of meets to go."

The 12-meet global series that began at the University of Maryland pool continues this weekend at Edmonton, next week at Rio, in January at Hong Kong, Shanghai, Hobart and Sydney and in February in Europe.

Thompson won the 50m and 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly at the Pan Pac meet after claiming world 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly crowns last year. She has won five Olympic gold medals on relays and a 1992 Olympic 100m freestyle silver.

Thompson, 26, won the 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly here on Wednesday, began the day with a 100m freestyle victory in 53.49 seconds and captured the 100m individual medley in 1:01.00 just before her world record swim.

Between her final races, Thompson watched Krayzelburg, 24, set his first world short-course mark to go with three long-course ones.

"The excitement really pumped me up. It was like, `I want a world record too,’" Thompson said. "I tried to step it up mentally. I was thinking I would breathe once in each of the first 25 but I forgot to. I had a good push off the last turn. I didn’t know how fast I was going."

Krayzelburg, the 100 and 200 backstroke world champion, was unhappy at losing the 50m freestyle to walker in a time, 24.28 seconds, that would have set an American record.

Walker, 23, and 1988 US Olympian Matt Biondi are the only American men to ever qualify for the world championships in four individual events.