World Short Course Championships: Flash! Jessica Hardy Sets World Record to Win 50 Breast

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MANCHESTER, England, April 10. THE United States' Jessica Hardy claimed the world record in the women's 50 breast at the FINA World Short Course Championships held in Manchester.

The American demolished Jade Edmistone's global standard of 29.90 set in 2004 when she clocked an astonishing 29.58 to win gold. It is the first victory in the event for the U.S. Incidentally, Hardy also broke the American record of Tara Kirk, who set the standard with a 30.04 in Austin, Texas last month.

"I've been training hard. To do that sort of time is impressive. I'm really happy," Hardy told meet organizers. "I wasn't expecting it. I mean we don't race short-course meets basically ever, so I didn't know what to set my goals as, but I'll take it. I've been working hard this year, really, really hard. I don't know, it just felt good going into the meet so I knew I could definitely get best times. I don't know, just working hard – harder than ever."

Great Britain's Kate Haywood and Australia's Sarah Katsoulis tied for second with matching 30.35s.

Notably, Edmistone wound up taking fifth with a time of 30.39 as she could not defend her title. Additionally, Austria's Mirna Jukic lowered her national record of 30.70 set during prelims with a sixth-place time of 30.54.

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