Lochte smashes fourth world record

Ryan Lochte sets the pool alight…with his new suit.

Lochte

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Ryan Lochte has a bag full of records
and golds [GALLO/GETTY]

Ryan Lochte claimed his fourth world record and fourth gold medal as the world record count soared to 15 on the last day of the world short-course swimming championships.

Lochte, who had lost his 200 backstroke title and world record to Austria’s Markus Rogan barely half an hour earlier, bounced back in the 100 metres individual medley and swept through in 51.15 seconds to slice 0.10 seconds from the world mark he had set in Saturday’s semi-finals.

Croatia’s Sanja Jovanovic started Sunday’s world record spree in the MEN Arena when she clocked 26.37 seconds to win the women’s 50 metres backstroke and beat the 26.50 world mark she set at the European short-course championships in Debrecen, Hungary, on December 15, 2007.

Rogan put in a powerful late surge to overhaul defending champion Lochte in the 200 backstroke and hit the wall in one minute 47.84 seconds to beat the 1:49.05 the American set at the last world short-course championships in Shanghai on April 9, 2006.

Medley glory

But Lochte, who retained his 200 and 400 individual medley titles earlier in the five-day championships after sharing a world record in the U.S. 4×100 freestyle relay, proved his resilience in the 100 medley.

He won by over a second from newly crowned 100 butterfly champion Petr Mankoc of Slovenia (52.21) and Britain’s Liam Tancock (52.22).

Jovanovic was followed home in the 50 backstroke by China’s Gao Chang, silver medallist in 2004, bronze in 2006 and now silver again in 26.70.

Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry, four golds and a bronze already in her possession, was for once denied a medal – finishing fifth in 26.85.

Australia’s Ashley Delaney led through the first 100 of the men’s backstroke inside world record pace,

Lochte took over and was well inside schedule with 50 metres to go but double Olympic silver medallist Rogan had the last word.

Nathan Adrian hoisted the U.S. title count to nine in the first final of the day, turning on the power down the last length to win the men’s 100 freestyle.

Croatia’s Duje Draganja, who set a world record in winning the 50 freestyle, took the race out hard and was 0.34 seconds inside world record schedule at the halfway mark.

But he could not sustain it and Adrian came through for gold in a championship record 46.67, with world long-course champion Filippo Magnini taking silver (46.70), leaving Draganja with bronze (46.83).

Source: News Agencies