SYDNEY, Australia, February 17. DURING the final day of competition at the New South Wales State Open Championships, held in Sydney, Australia, Eamon Sullivan took down the oldest world standard in the men's record books. By the end of the splash-and-dash 50 freestyle event, Sullivan erased Alexander Popov from the ledger.<\/p>\n
After posting a 22.52 during prelims, Sullivan became the fastest swimmer on the planet with a blistering 21.56. That knocked off the 21.64 set by Popov on June 16, 2000 in Moscow, Russia.<\/p>\n
Ashley Callus (22.50) and Jonathon Newton (22.61) joined Sullivan in the race as they placed second and third in the historic swim.<\/p>\n
"I felt really, really good in the warm up and I was working towards being under 22 (seconds) for the first time," Sullivan told Swimming Australia<\/i>. "I looked up and saw the point 56 at the end and thought it was 22.56 before I realized it was a one instead of a two at the start. I was just getting used to being the fastest man in Australia and now I am the fastest in the world."<\/p>\n
With the world record, Sullivan becomes the first Australian to hold the men's 50 free record.<\/p>\n
Progression<\/b>
\nCourtesy of USA Swimming<\/i>
\n23.70 Klaus Steinback FRG Freiburg 7\/23\/1979
\n23.66 Chris Cavanaugh USA Amersfoort 2\/2\/1980
\n22.83p Bruce Stahl USA Austin 4\/10\/1980
\n22.83p Joe Bottom USA Honolulu 8\/15\/1980
\n22.71 Joe Bottom USA Honolulu 8\/15\/1980
\n22.54p Robin Leamy USA Brown Deer 8\/15\/1981
\n22.52 Dano Halsall SUI Bellinzona 7\/21\/1985
\n22.40 Tom Jager USA Austin 12\/6\/1985
\n22.33 Matt Biondi USA Orlando 6\/26\/1986
\n22.33 Matt Biondi USA Clovis 7\/30\/1987
\n22.32* Tom Jager USA Brisbane 8\/13\/1987
\n22.23 Tom Jager USA Orlando 3\/25\/1988
\n22.14 Matt Biondi USA Seoul 9\/24\/1988
\n22.12 Tom Jager USA Tokyo 8\/20\/1989
\n21.98p Tom Jager USA Nashville 3\/24\/1990
\n21.81 Tom Jager USA Nashville 3\/24\/1990
\n21.64 Alexander Popov RUS Moscow 6\/1\/2000
\n21.56 Eamon Sullivan AUS Sydney 2\/17\/2008<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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