Three more records take tournament tally to 12

Alshammar powered her way to a second world record at the championships, taking the 50-metre freestyle in 23.59 and cutting a half second off her previous record of 24.09s, set in December. Germany’s Sandra Voelker was second in 24.77, and Britain’s Alison Sheppard was third in 24.80s.

Thompson powered past the competition in the semifinals of the women’s 100 butterfly to finish in 56.56s, lowering her previous record of 56.80 set in February in Paris.

“I felt a little tired and tense in the warm-up and I didn’t expect to break the world record,” Thompson said. “Why not break the world record again in the final?”

The three records on Saturday brought to 12 the number of short-course marks that have fallen in three days. International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch said he was, “impressed by the high level of the championships. Twelve new world records is something fantastic.”

Samaranch is in Athens for meeting local organisers of the 2004 Olympics in an effort to convince them to bring the Games forward by two weeks from August to July. That would free many international soccer stars from obligations to their professional teams, and allow them to play in the Olympics.

Walker twice broke the 50-metre backstroke on Thursday’s opening day, then helped set a third with the men’s 800m freestyle relay team on Friday. Along the way, the 23-year-old also broke seven American records and six event records. He was to try for another gold in the 100-metre backstroke on Sunday, the last day of the meet.

Thompson, a five-time Olympic champion who had the second-fastest time in the 50-metre freestyle, withdrew from the 50 free where she was to face Alshammar to go for the 100 fly record. She then led off the American team in the 4x100m relay, but a quick Alshammar gave Sweden an easy victory with a time of 3:35.54. Germany was second in 3:37.31 and Britain was third with 3:37.93. The American team was fourth in 3:37.97.

In the women’s 100 individual medley, Slovakia’s Martina Morakova took the title in 59.71s, Canada’s Marianne Limpert was second in 1:02.00 while Alenka Kejzar of Slovenia was third in 1:02.24.

Russia’s Roman Sloudnov, who set a world record in Friday’s semi-finals of the 100-metre breaststroke, won the final for his first World Championship gold in 58.57, ahead of China’s Zhu Yi with 59.99 and another Russian, Roman Ivanovski, third in 1:00.05.

Britain’s James Hickman, the world record holder in the 200-metre butterfly, took the race in 1:53.57. Canada’s Przemysla Pietucha was second in 1:54.27 while Anatoli Poliakov of Russia followed in 1:54.27.

Diana Lindsay Benko of the United States captured the women’s 400-metre freestyle in 4:02.44. The Ukraine’s Yana Klochkova was second in 4:04.39 and China’s Chen Hua was third in 4:06.63.

Germany’s Antje Buchschlte took the women’s 50-metre backstroke in 27.90, Australia’s Kellie McMillan was second in 28.06, while third-placed Sarah Price of Britain clocked 28.40.