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Sports

Wednesday July 29, 2009

Biedermann wins 200m freestyle world title in record time

ROME: Germany’s Paul Biedermann did what long seemed impossible yesterday, seizing the 200m freestyle world title and world record from US superstar Michael Phelps at the swimming World Championships.

Biedermann handed Phelps his first individual defeat in world and Olympic competition since 2005, triumphing in 1:42.00sec.

“It’s amazing to beat Michael Phelps,” said Biedermann, who broke the world record of 1:42.96 set by Phelps in winning gold at the Beijing Games.

Number one: Paul Biedermann celebrating after winning gold and beating a world record during the men’s 200m freestyle final Tuesday at the World Swimming Championships in Rome. — AFP

“I was there in Beijing when he won his eight gold medals and it was a great moment for me to live this moment,” Biedermann said.

Phelps settled for silver in 1:43.22, with Hungary’s Danila Izotov third in 1:43.90. The American got off the blocks quickest, but Biedermann had seized the lead by the first turn and never gave it back. He touched the final wall nearly a body length in front of Phelps.

“It was a really amazing race, I spoke to my trainer before and he said Michael beats you on the start and the turns so the only way to beat him is in swimming and I think I did it really well,” Biedermann said.

Phelps, whose eight gold medals in Beijing were an Olympic record, and took his career tally to 14, hadn’t been beaten in individual world or Olympic competition since losing to Ian Crocker in the 100m fly at the 2005 Worlds in Montreal.

He was 10-for-10 since then, winning five individual events at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne and five in Beijing.

Phelps, who took six months off after the Beijing Games, the longest break of his competitive career, tried to be philosophical, but it was clear the defeat stung.

Biedermann’s performance followed his 400m freestyle triumph, in which he erased the iconic world record set by Ian Thorpe in 2002.

Britain’s Gemma Spofforth won the women’s 100m backstroke title in a world record 58.12. Russian Anastasia Zueva had set the previous record of 54.48 in the semi-finals on Monday, but her 58.18 was only good enough for silver. Australia’s Emily Seebohm was third in 58.88.

Italian fans were treated to a home world record and a world title - from two different swimmers.

Alessia Filippi captured the women’s 1,500m freestyle title in 15:44.93, ahead of Denmark’s Lotte Friis and Romanian Camelia Potec.

Junya Koga won the men’s 100m backstroke in 52.26sec. Germany’s Helge Meeuw, sixth at the turn, rallied to take silver in 52.54 and former world record-holder Aschwin Wildeboer of Spain was third in 52.64.

American Rebecca Soni, who set a world record in the 100m breaststroke semis on Monday couldn’t repeat the feat, but she captured the world title in 1:04.93. — AFP

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