Walker swims to 50m record

Athens, March 17: American Neil Walker gave the world short-course swimming championships a flying start with a world record in the men's ...

Athens, March 17: American Neil Walker gave the world short-course swimming championships a flying start with a world record in the men’s 50 metres backstroke, here on Thursday.

Walker clocked 24.04 seconds in heats on the opening session of the four-day championships to beat the mark of 24.11, set by Australia’s Matt Welsh, at a World Cup Meeting in Hobart in January. Walker had set the record before that Welsh time, when he clocked 24.12 at a world cup event at College Park, Maryland, last November.

Earlier, fellow American Jenny Thompson

had opened the defence of her 100 metres freestyle crown in impressive style by setting the fastest time in the morning’s heats.

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Thompson, who won three titles at the last edition of the championships, in Hong Kong last April, swept through the four lengths of the 25-metres Olympic Indoor Swimming Centre pool in 53.62 seconds to lead the 16 qualifiers for the evening’s semifinals.

Denmark’s Mette Jacobsen claimed the first gold medal of the event when she retained her women’s 200 metres butterfly title on Friday.

Jacobsen had a slow start and trailed third at the 50-metre mark behind Katrin Jaeke of Germany and Maria Pelaez of Spain. But the Dane was in front at 100 metres and never looked like relinquishing the title she won at the fourth edition of these championships in Hong Kong last april.

Jacobsen won in two minutes 8.10 seconds, with Jaeke taking the silver in 2:09.42 and Otylia Jedrzejczak of Poland the bronze in 2:09.61.

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Bela Szabados of Hungary collected the second gold of the four-day championships in an absorbing duel with Italy’s Massimiliano Rosolino.

Rosolino took the lead from the Hungarian on the second 50 but Szabados came through in the final 50 to take the gold in 1:45.27.

Rosolino took the silver in 1:45.63 and American Chad Carvin the bronze in 1:45.79.

The times were well outside the 1:41.10 world mark of Ian Thorpe, one of many top Australians who are not competing in Athens, staying at home to concentrate on the National Olympic trials in May.