Records continue to tumble in Rome
Thursday, 30 July 2009 21:00Brazilian Caesar Cielo Filho shocked the favourite Alain Bernard of France in the men's 100m freestyle at the World Championships in Rome this evening as the number of new world records reached a staggering 29, writes RTÉ Sport's John Kenny.
Filho - in his pervasive new generation body suit - won the gold in the blue riband event in 46.91 seconds, with the favourite having to be content with silver in 47.12 seconds.
Ryan Lochte took Michael Phelps record in winning gold in the men's 200m individual medley in 2 minutes 54.10 seconds.
Annamay Pierse of Canada broke the women's 200m breaststroke time in the semi-finals, clocking 2:20.12, while Australia's Jessica Schipper won gold in the women's 200 butterfly in another world best of 2:03.41.
Australian Christian Sprenger lowered the men's 200m breaststroke time to 2:07.31 in the semi- final, China's Zhao Jing won gold in the women's 50 backstroke in 27.06 and the Chinese women's 4x200 freestyle relay team cut over two seconds off the old world record.
Earlier in the day, Ireland's Andrew Bree was someway short of his best as the Irish Olympian failed to advance to the semi-finals in his favourite event - the 200m breaststroke.
Bree finished third in his heat after his body suit burst before the race, as he clocked a time of 2:12.90 to finish 30th overall.
The 28-year-old's time was almost three seconds slower than the time that earned him a semi-final place at the Beijing Olympics last year.
Speaking afterwards, Bree said: 'That wasn't my best performance out there. It just didn't feel right from the start and felt a little too choppy. I'm going to go back now and analyse the race with my coaches and see what I need to do to get back down to my best again.
'We've a team of 13 swimmers who've all been swimming really well so far. I'm going to get back out there and get behind the other swimmers who have more races to come here in Rome.'
Another new Irish record was set by Bangor's Clare Dawson in the 100m freestyle in 56.32, while the Irish quartet of Dawson, Melanie Nocher, Niamh O'Sullivan and Niamh Murphy wiped over nine seconds of the Irish 4 x200m freestyle relay which placed them 15th overall.
Barry Murphy, Conor Leaney, Nocher, and Grainne and Nuala Murphy are all in action on Friday.
