Hackett’s win equals medal record haul
Distance supremo Grant Hackett helped Australia equal its best gold medal haul at a world championships by taking out the 1500 metres in Montreal.
Hackett, who became the first swimmer to win the same event four times at the world titles, lifted Australia’s gold medal tally to 13, equalling the record set in Fukuoka, Japan in 2001.
The 25-year-old clocked a time of 14:42.58s in his pet event, the fourth fastest 1500m swim ever recorded and about eight seconds outside the world record he set in 2001.
He remains unbeaten in the event since 1996 and becomes the first man to win the 400m, 800m and 1500m at a world championships.
“It’s been a long week and it was a long race to finish on and I certainly felt a bit tired tonight, and the last few hundred I just wanted to get to the end,” Hackett said.
“I just want to see how fast I can go and I know I am a lot faster than the times I have done, particularly in the 1500 so for me it is all about pursuing that.”
Hackett said the Montreal meet would be one he fondly remembers.
“For me to break a world record here, of course of Ian’s (800m) and to be swimming those sorts of times day in day out … but certainly (it has been) one of those career moments or meets that you savour.”
Hackett’s 1500m win capped a sparkling day for Australia’s swimmers.
Libby Lenton won the 50m freestyle gold in a time of 24.59 seconds, with fellow Australian Alice Mills finishing in fifth place in 25.02 seconds.
Earlier, Australian Jade Edmistone broke the world record in the non-Olympic 50m breaststroke with a time of 30.45 seconds to win the gold medal.
She lowered British-turned-Kiwi swimmer Zoe Baker’s record by 0.12 of a second, while fellow Aussie Brooke Hanson came third in a time of 30.89.
Matt Welsh was narrowly pipped for gold in the men’s 50 metres breaststroke final, coming home just behind Aristeidis Grigoriadis of Greece to take the silver medal.
Grigoriadis won the event in a time 24.95 seconds after a close finish in which the first six swimmers were separated by less than half a second.
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