New Aussie breaks 50m butterfly world record

He was a finalist at the Australian Olympic trials this year but did not qualify for Beijing, instead concentrating on his studies.

He has been instructed by his parents in Montenegro to go and buy Australian flags so that when the family meets up at the Moscow leg of the World Cup after a year apart, his parents can proudly wave their son’s new nation’s flags.

When asked what he thought of the time, he replied: “Quick!”

“I was just looking at the board and, WOW! It’s been coming for a while. This is my fifth go at it (the record). I guess I was a bit more experienced and had a bit more motivation (tonight). My relatives are in the stand. It was very exciting.

“It was my first race as an Australian and I hope I did well,” he said.

It was the final race of the evening and brought the crowd to its feet. He collected a 20-point bonus for the world record as well as $US10,000.

Tunisian Ousama Mellouli could have been forgiven for being apprehensive heading into Australia this week.

Renowned as the man who denied Aussie legend Grant Hackett a 1500m freestyle Olympic triple in Bejing six weeks ago, Mellouli was being heralded as the star attraction by eevent organisers. Speaking before the event, Mellouli said he seemed to have many supporters in Australia despite his notoriety of toppling the local hero.

The talented swimmer collected three more titles on the circuit for 13 from two and a half meets. At the first night’s finals, the Tunisian won his ninth title in taking out the 400m Individual Medley from a quartet of Australians who were separated by less than a second.

Mellouli put in a big second leg to take the race well away from the opposition and had a half a length lead over his rivals going into the final 50m.

“I was hoping to go to my best time but I was a second short.”

Mellouli was probably more at home in the 400m freestyle, where he cruised home in 3:40.49 for his tenth title. He was nearly three seconds clear of Australian Robert Hurley. He followed that with the 100m IM title, coming through in the breaststroke leg and pulled away in the final lap for a 53.84 result over a fast-finishing Leith Brodie (AUS) with 54.30.

On what the Olympic gold medal meant to him: “The gold has changed a lot of things in my life — it’s been a great six weeks.”

The 200m butterfly threw up a sensational result with Australian pair Nick D’Arcy and Chris Wright dead-heating in a new national record of 1:53.37. D’Arcy, making his return to racing after being thrown off the Australian Olympic team for a nightclub fracas, led from start to the final centimetres. The long course Australian and Commonwealth record holder, D’Arcy added the short course record but thought the win was going to be denied him. “I thought he’d chew me up in the last five (metres). A win and a record is nice.” Wright left his charge until the final lap. “I knew Nick was beside me and he was going to push me all the way.”

Swede Stefan Nystrand was well off his world record set in Berlin a year ago in cleaning out the best Australia had to offer in the 100m freestyle. While seven of the eight swimmers broke 49 seconds, Nystrand took the lead from Mitchell Patterson before the halfway mark and cleared out to finish in 47.45. Patterson faded to third while Tommaso D’Orsogna slipped into second place in 48.39.

Christian Sprenger (AUS), the leading points scorer heading into the Sydney event, made it five victories from three meets with a smart 26.93 in the 50m breaststroke. He went into the event with the second fastest heat time behind Brenton Rickard (AUS) but left him behind in the second half to take second in 27.19. Sprenger said: “Anything under 27 for me is a really good swim. I had Brenton Rickard there and he’s the best.”

He collected his sixth victory with a romp in the 200m breaststroke, finishing just three and a half seconds behind the USA’s Ed Moses’ 2004 record in 2:06.43.

Russian Stanislav Donets, who beat last year’s World Cup points winner Randall Bal (USA) in Brazil, claimed the 100m backstroke cheque from Australia’s Robert Hurley and Ashley Delaney.

In women’s racing, South African Katheryn Meakum took her time to overhaul Australian Luane Rowe to claim the 800m freestyle for her eighth victory on the circuit. She said she was tired after only arriving from Durban on Thursday with a nine-hour time difference but was happy with the cash reward — “Obviously the money’s a big incentive!”

Her ninth victory came in the 200m IM in 2:10.03 from Australia’s Ellen Fullerton and New Zealand’s Natalie Wiegersma. Fullerton earlier made her first trip to a major event a winning debut by taking out the 200m freestyle in 1:56.35, the eighth fastest time by an Australian. “This is my first ever World Cup meet and it’s exciting, especially coming in and doing a PB in my first international meet.” The Dennis Cotterill-trained athlete was thrilled with a freestyle win, especially since she concentrates on the individual medley. “My freestyle has really improved since I’ve been with Dennis.”

Sarah Katsoulis nudged out Sweden’s Joline Hostman in the 100m breaststroke, dipping under 1:06 in a race where former world champion Jade Edmistone finished fourth.

World record holder Sophie Edington (AUS) could only manage fourth as well, this time in the 50m backstroke, won by countrywoman Emily Seebohm in 27.21 from Brazil’s Fabiola Molina (27.38). Seebohm said she wasn’t well prepared for the event. “It was hard getting back into it after a long break (Olympics). I haven’t had a very good preparation but I’m on track to where I want to be.”

Marieke Guehrer (AUS) set the pool alight with a blistering opening leg of the 100m butterfly, turning a split second under world-record pace. But she died a little in the second leg, finishing in 56.88, just over a second outside countrywoman Libby Trickett’s world mark set in Canberra earlier this year. With a body length lead after 25m, Guehrer said she was “stoked” with her swim. “We’ve travelled halfway around the world this week. Let’s hope we can keep going faster,” said the points leader after two meets.

Guehrer followed up with silver in the 50m freestyle behind Olympic bronze medallist Cate Campbell (AUS), who claimed a personal best of 23.97. Campbell was happy with the swim. “It’s a personal best by .01 of a second so you’ve got to be happy with that.” On winning $US1500 for the win: “Dad handles all my finances so I’m sure he’ll be happy.”

Melissa Ingram collected New Zealand’s first title of the meet with a three-second victory in the 200m backstroke, touching in 2:04.75. The gold went with the silver she won in the 200m freestyle.