By Phillip Whitten
BARCELONA, July 25. MARVELOUS Michael Phelps, all of 18 years and almost one month of age, obliterated the world record in the semifinals of the 100 meter butterfly at the World Championships in Barcelona tonight.
Phelps clocked an astounding 51.47 seconds, obliterating the former world record of 51.81 by Australia's Michael Klim in an official time trial in December 1999.
Amazingly, the Baltimore Bullett split only 25.11 at the 50 — dead last among the 16 semifinalists.
Phelps now owns world records in four events: the 100 and 200m butterfly, and the 200 and 400m individual medley.
Lost in the pandemonium following Phelps' record was the fact that Ukraine's Andrii Serdinov was also under Klim's old mark with a time of 51.76.