Hackett Breaks World Short Course Mark at Aussie Champs

PERTH, Australia, Aug. 3. GRANT Hackett seized the last world record belonging to former Olympic champion Kieren Perkins when he slashed nearly 10 seconds from the 800 meter freestyle world short course mark on Friday.

Hackett, who obliterated Perkins's seven-year-old 1,500 freestyle long-course mark at the World Championships in Fukuoka last Sunday, clocked seven minutes 25.28 seconds for the 800 at the Australian Short Course Championships in Perth.

That time in the 25-meter pool sliced 9.62 seconds from the previous record of 7:34.90 Perkins set in Sydney on July 25, 1993.

Hackett's splits:
100m 0:52.68 (52.68)
200m 1:48.78 (56.10)
300m 2:45.19 (56.41)
400m 3:41.84 (56.65)
500m 4:38.33 (56.49)
600m 5:35.01 (56.68)
700m 6:30.91 (55.90)
800m 7:25.28 (54.37)

"To come out and to smash it by nine seconds, I'm actually really, really surprised," Hackett said.

"Kieren was an amazing swimmer and it's been a pleasure to take the world record off him for the last time.

"I have a lot to thank him for but at the moment I am just thrilled with the result."

Hackett, 21, took the Olympic 1,500 freestyle title from Perkins in Sydney last September, relegating the 1992 and 1996 gold medalist to the silver.

He also erased Perkins's name from the long course world record list when he carved 7.10 seconds from the old master's mark to win the world title in 14:34.56.
Perkins, now 27, retired from the sport after the Olympics.

Hackett finished more than half a second behind Ian Thorpe in the evening's 200 meter freestyle final.

Thorpe clocked 1:42.93 to win from Hackett and Michael Klim, almost two seconds outside the world record of 1:41.10 he set in Berlin in February last year.

"It was a little bit slower than what I did last time I did a short course race but under the circumstances I'm happy with that," said Thorpe, who added he was exhausted after his Fukuoka campaign in which he won an unprecedented six gold medals.

Petria Thomas, who won both the 100 and 200m fly in Japan, breezed to victory in the longer fly event here, touching in 2:05.43.

Jennifer Reilly had no trouble winning the 400m IM, clocking 4:36.74.

RESULTS

2001 Telstra Australian Short Course Championships Perth, Australia
Day One: August 3, 2001

Men's 800m Freestyle

1 Grant Hackett QLD, AUS 7:25.28 WR
2 Graeme Smith GBR 7:44.58
3 Craig Stevens NSW, AUS 7:54.22
4 Adam Faulkner GBR 7:59.46
5 Travis Nederpelt WA, AUS 8:01.75
6 Gavin Shill QLD, AUS 8:04.60
7 Marcus Robertson VIC, AUS 8:06.65
8 David Cox WA, AUS 8:14.88

Men's 200m Freestyle

1 Ian Thorpe NSW, AUS 1:42.93
2 Grant Hackett QLD, AUS 1:43.48
3 Michael Klim VIC, AUS 1:44.79
4 William Kirby WA, AUS 1:45.12
5 Leon Dunne QLD, AUS 1:47.00
6 Antony Matkovich WA, AUS 1:47.77
7 Nic Williams NSW, AUS 1:49.50
8 Ray Hass VIC, AUS 1:50.32

Women's 200m Butterfly

1 Petria Thomas NSW, AUS 2:05.43
2 Felicity Galvez NSW, AUS 2:09.77
3 Nicole Hunter TAS, AUS 2:10.68
4 Heidi Crawford NSW, AUS 2:11.01
5 Melissa Morgan SA, AUS 2:11.70
6 Charnelle Crossingham NSW, AUS 2:13.45
7 Emily Pedrazzini QLD, AUS 2:14.58
8 Kate Corkran QLD, AUS 2:14.63

Women's 400m Individual Medley

1 Jennifer Reilly WA, AUS 4:36.74
2 Lori Munz VIC, AUS 4:43.15
3 Yvette Rodier NSW, AUS 4:44.23
4 Megan McMahon SA, AUS 4:45.34
5 Cassandra Steer WA, AUS 4:45.36
6 Charnelle Crossingham NSW, AUS 4:47.55
7 Jessica Davis NSW, AUS 4:51.63
8 Skye Bloffwitch NSW, AUS 4:53.27

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