Aussie Nationals: Ian Thorpe Destroys World Record in the 800; Hackett Also Under Old Mark

By Ian Hanson

HOBART, Tasmania, Australia. March 26. IAN THORPE tonight added world record number two to his long list of extraordinary swimming achievemnents when he took 4.41 seconds off Kieren Perkins' seven-year-old world record for 800 metres freestyle in Hobart.

"The Thorpedo" launched his size 17s into full throttle and took off with 125 meters to go to clock a time of 7:41.59 secs in a stunning performance at the Tattersall's Hobart Aquatic Centre.

Thorpe and Hackett swam stroke for stroke for almost 700 metres, before the world record holder and Olympic champion for 400 metres, took off in an awesome display of power.

Hackett had no answer to Thorpe's amazing surge – but he too clocked a time under Perkins world mark of 7:46.00, set on the way to his 1994 world mark for 1500m at the Commonwealth Games in Canada.

The 20-year-old Olympic 1500m champion from Miami finished a gallant second in 7:44.57, with his training partner, Stephen Penfold third in 8:04.55.

But it was Thorpe's night and he kept the crowd and an Australia-wide live TV and radio audience in suspense when he crusied through the first 700 metres – only approaching world record pace with 100 metres to go.

Thorpe actually negative split the race, swimming the first 400m in 3:52.27 and the second 400m in 3:49.32.

His splits were: 56.14; 1:55.06; 2:53.59; 3:52.27; 4:51.42; 5:50.58; 6:47.88 and 7:41.59.

Thorpe's final 100 metres was an amazing 53.71 – compared to Perkins' final 100m of 58.28.

(In Perkins defense he did then touch the wall with his feet and kept swimming to clock the 1500 meters freestyle world record of 14:41.66).

It was the second time Hackett has gone under a world record but finished second to Thorpe – the first time when the pair smashed the 400m short course world mark in Perth in 1998.

Thorpe admitted he still sees himself as a sprinter and Hackett admitted he wants to convince his mate stop at 800 meters.

"I don't want him to swim that extra 700 meters, no way," said Hackett.

And Thorpe gave Hackett a reassurance it wouldn't happen…not for a while anyway.

"Grant can feel safe for the time being, I won't rule out swimming the 1500 meters completely but I can't see myself doing it in the near future," said Thorpe.

Thorpe has now won the 400 and 800 meters at these championships and will chase the 200 meters tomorrow night and then a place in the 100 meters later in the week.

The other winners tonight were:
Simon Cowley, who burried the ghosts of his 2000 Olympic Trials when he won the 100m breaststroke final (1:01.96); Olympic bronze medallist Justin Norris in the 200 meters butterfly (1:57.70) and Olympic relay silver medallist Dyana Calub in a new Commonwealth and Australian record time of 28.68 in the 50 meters backstroke.

Cowley's comeback to beat Olympic relay silver medallist and training partner Regan Harrison was a personal triumph and one he dedicated to his family for their support in helping rebuild his career.

Norris' victory proved a coaching triumph for mild-mannered AIS head coach Mark Regan, who coached Petria Thomas to the womens 200m butterfly title the night before.

It could well be a case of one door closing and another one opening for Regan, who is on the short list for one of Australian Swimming's new coaching appointments, expected to be announced in Hobart on Friday.

Paralympic star, Siobhan Paton, added gold medal number two in the 50m butterfly while Ben Austin won his second gold in the men's event.

Wednesday night's action will see Ian Thorpe back in the pool in the 200 meters freestyle and Leisel Jones chasing the women's breaststroke double in the 200m.

RESULTS

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS and
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TRIALS

Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

DAY THREE: March 26, 2001

50 meter pool

Women's 200m Breaststroke – Semi Final
1 Leisel Jones AUS 2:28.21
2 Brooke Hanson AUS 2:30.13
3 Tarnee White AUS 2:34.66
4 Sarah Kasoulis AUS 2:35.41
5 Kate Young AUS 2:36.30
5 Kelli Waite AUS 2:36.30
7 Bianca Conwell AUS 2:38.35
8 Katie Clewett AUS 2:38.38

9 Rebekah Rychvalsky AUS 2:38.78
10 Abbey Watt AUS 2:39.36
11 Georgie Bartlett AUS 2:39.93
12 Lisa Kempa AUS 2:40.70
13 Brooke Martin AUS 2:43.24
14 Katharine Bigby AUS 2:44.16
15 Amanda West AUS 2:45.69
16 Peta Doyle AUS 2:47.27

Men's 50m Backstroke – Semi Final
1 Matt Welsh AUS 25.83
2 Josh Watson AUS 25.85
3 Beau Mannix AUS 25.92
4 Daniel Blackborrow AUS 26.78
5 Geoff Huegill AUS 27.04
6 Cameron Delaney AUS 27.27
7 Ethan Rolff AUS 27.36
8 Edward Roche AUS 27.49

9 Rahmin De Kretser AUS 27.55
10 Hayden Stoeckel AUS 27.81
11 Adam Lucas AUS 27.90
12 Mark Bush AUS 28.16
13 Andrew Burns AUS 28.17
14 Gavin Hughes AUS 28.18
15 Louis Paul AUS 28.21
16 Ian Sainsbery AUS 28.63

Women's 100m Freestyle – Semi Final
1 Sarah Ryan AUS 55.52
2 Lori Munz AUS 56.03
3 Elka Graham AUS 56.19
4 Jodie Henry AUS 56.61
5 Giaan Rooney AUS 56.64
6 Petria Thomas AUS 56.65
7 Melinda Geraghty AUS 57.17
8 Cassie Hunt AUS 57.26

9 Rebecca Creedy AUS 57.39
10 Katie Canning AUS 57.55
11 Shayne Reese AUS 57.59
12 Kirsten Thomson AUS 57.64
13 Jordana Webb AUS 57.72
14 Kasey Giteau AUS 57.86
15 Jessica Abbott AUS 58.04
16 Sacha Keady AUS 58.17

Men's 200m Freestyle – Semi Final
1 Michael Klim AUS 1:48.41
2 Ian Thorpe AUS 1:48.70
3 Todd Pearson AUS 1:49.79
4 Antony Matkovich AUS 1:50.37
5 William Kirby AUS 1:50.44
6 Ray Hass AUS 1:50.67
7 Leon Dunne AUS 1:51.04
8 Nic Williams AUS 1:51.65

9 Craig Stevens AUS 1:52.07
10 Leigh McBean AUS 1:52.43
11 Ben Denner AUS 1:52.93
12 Jason Cram AUS 1:53.24
13 Patrick Murphy AUS 1:54.95
14 Robert Van der Zant AUS 1:55.04
15 Robert Sharp AUS 1:55.35
16 Casey Flouch AUS 1:55.37

Men's 100m Breaststroke – Final
1 Simon Cowley AUS 1:01.96
2 Regan Harrison AUS 1:02.16
3 Jim Piper AUS 1:02.63
4 Phil Rogers AUS 1:03.10
5 Jarrad Church AUS 1:04.53
6 Steven McBrien AUS 1:04.57
7 Robert McDonald AUS 1:04.62
8 Mark Riley AUS 1:04.77

Women's 50m Backstroke – Final
1 Dyana Calub AUS 28.68 NATIONAL RECORD
2 Giaan Rooney AUS 29.42
3 Sophie Edington AUS 29.65
4 Rebecca Creedy AUS 30.15
5 Clementine Stoney AUS 30.26
6 Chloe Bennett AUS 30.43
7 Frances Adcock AUS 30.49
8 Belinda Nevell AUS 30.54

Men's 200m Butterfly – Final
1 Justin Norris AUS 1:57.70
2 William Kirby AUS 1:58.69
3 Grant McGregor AUS 1:59.10
4 Shane Fielding AUS 1:59.34
5 Greg Shaw AUS 2:00.27
6 Josh Krogh AUS 2:00.40
7 Heath Ramsay AUS 2:00.74
8 Matthew Hall AUS 2:01.57

Men's 800m Freestyle – Final
1 Ian Thorpe AUS 7:41.59 WORLD RECORD. Old record 7:46.00, Kieren Perkins, 1994 2 Grant Hackett AUS 7:44.57 Also betters world record 3 Stephen Penfold AUS 8:04.55
4 Andrew Affleck AUS 8:11.19
5 Travis Nederpelt AUS 8:16.67
6 Dylan Rackley AUS 8:18.49
7 David Cox GBR 8:18.51
8 Grant Cleland AUS 8:21.14

Women's 50m Butterfly Multi-Disability – Final
1 Siobhan Paton AUS 31.87
2 Kate Bailey AUS 35.79
3 Brooke Stockham AUS 40.78
4 Jessica Smith AUS 37.60
5 Alicia Aberley AUS 35.36
6 Amanda Drennan AUS 39.96
7 Stacey Williams AUS 53.05

Men's 50m Butterfly Multi-Disability – Final
1 Ben Austin AUS 32.43
2 Paul Cross AUS 29.50
3 Brett Reid AUS 29.58
4 Patrick Donachie AUS 30.55
5 Peter Lund-Anderson DEN 38.41
6 Alex Hadley AUS 37.97
7 Rod Welsh AUS 32.17
8 James Sewell AUS 37.54

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