Australia's Ian Thorpe made up for his disappointing Olympic 200m freestyle defeat by claiming his fourth gold of the World Championships in Japan and shattered his own world record in the process. The 18-year-old saw off the challenge of Holland's Pieter van den Hoogenband, who beat him in Sydney last September, with a crushing victory.
Thorpe won in 1-44.06, his third world record of the championships, carving 0.63 seconds off the time he set in Tasmania last March. Van den Hoogenband, who had led for the first 100m before being overtaken by his great rival, was second in 1-45.81 with American Klete Keller well back in third in 1-47.10.
Thorpe's fourth gold, adding to the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle events in the past four days in world record times, equals the overall men's world championship record of six set by Americans Jim Montgomery and Matt Biondi. The Sydney youngster won two golds as a 15-year-old in Perth at the last championships in 1998 and still has three more titles to aim for this week.
Elsewhere this morning, Inge de Bruijn claimed gold as she powered to a convincing victory in the 100m freestyle. The Dutchwoman won in a time of 54.18secs, ahead of the German duo of Katrin Meissmer (55.07) and Sandra Volker (55.11).
Filed by Shane Murray
