Sweden’s Kammerling Blasts 50m Fly World Mark

STOCKHOLM, Jan 25. SWEDEN'S Anna-Karin Kammerling delighted the hometown crowd in Stockholm, when she obliterated her own 50 meter butterfly short course world record in the final race of the FINA World Cup IX meet.

Kammerling clocked 25.36, wiping out the mark of 25.60, which she set at the European Short Course Championships in Valencia, Spain, in December. The effort earned her a new car. "I definitely wanted that car," she said, "and to set a world record in front of my home crowd is just a fantastic feeling."

WOMEN'S EVENTS
Kammerling's world record was not the only highlight of the meet. Germany's ageless Sylvia Gerasch set a European record of 31.04 in the women's 50m breaststroke. The time erased the standard of 31.17 set by Sweden's Emma Igelstrom in Imperia, Italy just two weeks ago. America's Amy Balcerzak, in 31.37, was a strong second, while China's Qi Hui was third in 31.62.

The 16 year-old Qi just missed breaking the WR in the women's 200m breast. Qi, who finished fourth in this event in Sydney, just one-hundredth of a second behind the USA's Amanda Beard, clocked the second fastest short course time in history, her 2:20.28 falling just six-hundredths of a second slower than the world mark set by Masami Tanaka of Japan in Hong Kong in 1999.

U.S. Olympian B.J. Bedford, in one of her final appearances, won the women's 100m back in 59.99, beating Canada's Jennifer Carroll by more than a second.

Swedish women won two other events. Johanna Sjoberg took the 100m free in 54.01 while Sarah Nordenstam walked off with top honors in the 400m IM in 4:44.13.

Japan's Tomoko Hagiwara took the 100m IM in 1:01.82, edging Canada's Nadine Rolland (1:02.29) and the USA's Amy Balcerzak (1:03.13).

MEN'S EVENTS
Croatia's Gordan Kozulj remained hot, winning the 200m backstroke–an event in which he tied the world record of 1:51.62 last weekend–by almost nine seconds in 1:52.16. The USA's Michael Phelps, 15, was second in 2:00.76.

Australia's Michael Klim flew through four lengths of butterfly to win the 100 meter event in a solid 51.35. His compatriot, Adam Pine, a University of Nebraska grad, was second in 52.09, while Canada's Mike Mintenko took third (52.63).

Another Aussie, Todd Pearson, took the 200m free, posting a strong 1:44.23. U.S. veteran Chad Carvin finished second in 1:46.71, just ahead of Australia's Leon Dunne.

Dmitri Koptour of Belarus had things all his way in the 1500m free, breaking the 15-minute barrier with a 14:57.29, more than 75 meters ahead of the rest of the field.

Germany's Christian Keller swam an impressive 200m IM, touching in 1:57.68, almost two seconds ahead of Australia's Robert Van Der Zant.

Britain's Mark Foster remained king of the 50 meter freestyle sprint, winning in 21.46, to defeat Swede Stefan Nystrand (21.67), the European champ, and Russia's legendary Alex Popov (21.68).

RESULTS

Men's 200 meter freestyle
1. Todd Pearson (AUS) 1:44.23
2. Chad Carvin (USA) 1:46.71
3. Leon Dunne (AUS) 1:46.80

Men's 100 meter breaststroke
1. Morgan Knabe (CAN) 0:59.70
2. Jim Piper (AUS) 1:00.00
3. Jarno Pihlava (FIN) 1:00.17

Men's 100 meter butterfly
1. Michael Klim (AUS) 51.35
2. Adam Pine (AUS) 52.09
3. Michael Mintenko (CAN) 52.63

Men's 50 meter backstroke
1. Ante Maskovic (CRO) 24.76
2. Denis Pankratov (RUS) 24.79
3. Martin Viilep (EST) 25.99

Men's 200 meter individual medley
1. Christian Keller (GER) 1:57.68
2. Robert van Der Zant (AUS) 1:59.57
3. Xavier Marchand (FRA) 1:59.64

Men's 50 meter freestyle
1. Mark Foster (GBR) 21.46
2. Stefan Nystrand (SWE) 21.67
3. Alexander Popov (RUS) 21.68

Men's 1500 meter freestyle
1. Dmitri Koptour (BLR) 14:57.29
2. Mikael Rosen (SWE) 15:44.86
3. Hanned Kohnke (SWE) 15:56.71

Men's 200 meter backstroke
1. Gordan Kozulj (CRO) 1:52.16
2. Michael Phelps (USA) 2:00.76
3. Martin Viilep (EST) 2:01.02

Women's 100 meter freestyle
1. Johanna Sjoberg (SWE) 54.01
2. Elena Poptcenko (BLR) 54.91
3. Melanie Marshall (GBR) 55.16

Women's 50 meter breaststroke
1. Sylvia Gerasch (GER) 31.04 European Record
2. Amy Balcerzak (USA) 31.37
3. Qi Hui (CHN) 31.62

Women's 400 meter individual medley
1. Sara Nordenstam (SWE) 4:44.13
2. Kelly Doody (CAN) 4:47.66
3. Hanna Gustavsson (SWE) 4:57.56

Women's 100 meter backstroke
1. Barbara Bedford (USA) 0:59.99
2. Jennifer Carroll (CAN) 1:01.13
3. Michelle Lischinsky (CAN) 1:01.40

Women's 200 meter butterfly
1. Elizabeth van Welie (NZL) 2:11.38
2. Jessica Deglau (CAN) 2:12.57
3. Mia Broden (SWE) 2:15.04

Women's 400 meter freestyle
1. Alicia Bozon (FRA) 4:09.45
2. Ann Berglund (SWE) 4:11.89
3. Ai Mizoguchi (JPN) 4:12.97

Women's 200 meter breaststroke
1. Qi Hui (CHN) 2:20.28
2. Rhiannon Leier (CAN) 2:28.14
3. Fumiko Kawanabe (JPN) 2:28.25

Women's 100 meter individual medley
1. Tomoka Hagiwara (JPN) 1:01.82
2. Nadine Rolland (CAN) 1:02.29
3. Amy Balcerzak (USA) 1:03.13

Women's 50 meter butterfly
1. Anna-Karin Kammerling (SWE) 25.36 World Record
2. Therese Alsahammar (SWE) 26.27
3. Johanna Sjoberg (SWE) 26.50

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