Hackett shatters world record
Grant Hackett smashed the world record on his way to gold in the 1500m freestyle on the final day of the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka.
The Australian finished with a time of 14 minutes 34.56 seconds - knocking 7.10 seconds off the previous record of 14.41.66 set by fellow countryman Kieren Perkins.
There was excellent news too for Britain when Graeme Smith clinched second spot.
His silver medal gives Great Britain their best medal haul at the World Championships for over two decades.
Smith smashed his own personal best by some distance when he became the first Briton to swim a sub-15 minute time.
“It was a lot harder out there than I thought it was going to be but it is great to get another medal,” said Smith, who took bronze in the 800m freestyle on Tuesday.
“I was after the European record, but in the end I was just glad to get under 15 minutes - to be the first one, I am just over the moon about that.”
Earlier, Inge de Bruijn added yet another medal to her collection when she raced to victory in the 50 metres freestyle final.
It was the third gold of the championships for the Dutch sensation, who has the 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly titles to he name.
The 27-year-old triple Olympic champion finished in a time of 24.47 seconds - half a second faster than Sweden’s Therese Alshammar, who took her silver with a time of 24.88 secs.
Sandra Volker took the final place on the podium when she edged out Britain’s Alison Sheppard for bronze.
The German finished in a time of 24.96, only four tenths of a second ahead of the unlucky Scot, who registered a personal best of 25.00 secs.
“I am disappointed with fourth and being just out of the medals, but I am happy with the time,” said Sheppard.
“It is my best ever and I could not have swum any faster today.
“All the other girls have been around a lot longer than me at that speed. I am still improving so it is looking good for the future.”
There was a surprise in the men’s 50m breaststroke when Ukraine’s Oleg Lisogor beat the favourites for gold.
The European silver medallist Lisogor finished in a time of 27.52 seconds, ahead of newly crowned world 100m breaststroke champion Roman Sludnov by just 0.08 secs.
The Russian collected silver, with Italy’s Domenico Fioravanti narrowly taking bronze in 27.72 secs.
The double Olympic champion was only 0.01 secs ahead of former world record holder Anthony Robinson of the United States.
In a high quality race, European champion Mark Warnecke of Germany could only finish in fifth, while world record holder Ed Moses of the US came in sixth.
Britain’s Darren Mew finished in seventh, but fellow compatriot James Gibson was disqualified.
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