FUKUOKA, Japan -- Ian Thorpe returned after his
record-breaking opening night at the world championships to race in
heats in the 800 meters Monday.
Thorpe, who set the 800 world record at 7 minutes, 41.59 seconds
at the Australian trials in March, was fastest in the heats as the
16-lap race made its debut at the worlds.
The 18-year-old Aussie glided into the wall in 7:52.74 and
remained on course for his third gold medal of the meet.
Thorpe defended his 400 individual title in a record time of
3:40.17 Sunday night before anchoring Australia's 400-meter
freestyle relay team to a championship record and a gold medal.
"It's very difficult, especially in a major meet like this, to
swim every day," Thorpe said. "I'll have to use all my management
skills."
Grant Hackett, the world and Olympic 1,500 champion and second
behind Thorpe in the 400, won heat 3 in 7:54.22. Graeme Smith of
Britain was third in 7:56.73.
Russia's Alexia Filipets swam 7:56.89 in heat 2 to edge American
Chris Thompson, who qualified fifth for Tuesday's final.
In the 100 breaststroke, Roman Sloudnov set a meet record of
1:00.40 in heat 8, wiping .55 seconds off the mark set in the
previous race by Japan's Kosuke Kitajima.
Kitajima held off former world record holder Ed Moses, who
qualified third for the semifinals in 1:01.12.
"I'm here to get a medal and I just want to better my time,"
said Sloudnov, the only breaststroker to break 1 minute for the
100.
Sloudnov's 59.97 in Russian trials last month is yet to be
ratified as a world record. Moses still owns the record with his
1:00.29 at the U.S. trials in March.
Another world record holder, 16-year-old American Michael
Phelps, qualified second fastest for the semifinals of the 200
butterfly.
After swimming 1:54.92 to beat Olympic champion Tom Malchow's
old world mark at the U.S. trials, Phelps finished 0.06 behind
fastest qualifier Franck Esposito of France, timed in 1:56.05.
Malchow started slow, but was ahead of world record pace at the
first turn before finishing heat 3 in 1:56.13.
Takashi Yamamoto of Japan was behind him in 1:57.76, .03 ahead
of Olympic bronze medalist Justin Norris of Australia.
Olympic silver medalist Denys Sylantyev of the Ukraine had the
eighth fastest time in 1:58.41.
The breaststroke and butterfly semifinals are interspersed with
six finals Monday night, including the blue ribbon men's 50
freestyle.
America's Olympic gold medalist Anthony Ervin is the favorite in
the one-lap sprint against Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband, the
Olympic champion over 100 and 200.
The other men's final is in the 100 backstroke, where Aaron
Peirsol is bidding to continue the U.S. dominance despite the
absence of Lenny Krayzelburg, the triple Olympic champion and
multiple backstroke world record holder.
In the women's 50 backstroke, one of six new events on the
program, American Haley Cope swam 28.60 to edge Antje Buschschulte
of Germany by .02 and lead heading into the semifinals later
Monday.
"I'm really excited about that time -- it's an American
record," she said. Former U.S. record holder Natalie Coughlin
advanced fourth fastest in 28.77.
German Sandra Volker, who set the world record at 28.25 in
Berlin a year ago, was third fastest in the heats with 28.72.
The women's 200 butterfly starts the women's finals Monday,
followed by the 100 breaststroke, the 800 freestyle and the
400-meter relay.
The German team won its heat in 3:41.40 to qualify fastest for
the women's 400-meter freestyle final, while the United States
finished in 3:41.49 to edge Australia in the second heat for the
second fastest time.
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