Short Course World Champs, Day Three Finals: Hansen Is Untouchable in the 200 Breast

INDIANAPOLIS, October 9. BRENDAN HANSEN, owner of the long course world records over 100 and 200 meters breaststroke, had already won the 100 here, though Australia's Brenton Rickard had stayed surprisingly close all the way.

The 200 figured to be a race of the same color and, in fact, that's how it started out.

At the 50, it was the 21 year-old Aussie who turned first in 28.63, one-hundredth in front of Hansen, with another Aussie, Jim Piper, right behind him.

Hansen didn't stay second for long, taking the lead on the pullout after the turn. At 100 meters the Texas superstar had seized a solid lead, turning in 1:00.34, three-tenths ahead of Piper, now in second, and half a second in front of Rickard.

A 32.10-second third 50 by Hansen put the race out of reach for any would-be challengers, as Hansen lengthened his lead to over a second and a half. Relentless, Hansen left the rest of the field in his wake in the final 50 meters, touching in a championship record 2:04.98, more than three full seconds ahead of Piper.

But Piper was disqualified for moving before the start. The DQ moved Rickard into second in 2:08.34, two-hundredths ahead of Kazakhstan's Vladislav Polyakov — the precise order of finish in the 100 breast.

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