WORLD RECORD FLASH! JAPAN'S RYOSUKE IRIE BREAKS 200M BACKSTROKE MARK

AIS, Canberra, May 10: Japanese sensation Ryosuke Irie swam a world record time of 1:52.86 (26.84; 55.46;1:24.42) in the men's 200m backstroke, at today's Duel In The Pool at the AIS in Canberra, breaking the old mark of 1:53.94 set by Ryan Lochte of the USA at the Beijing Olympics.

The 19-year-old, who swam a 1:54.02 at the Japanese World championship trials just three weeks ago, took a whopping 1.08 seconds off Lochte's mark and said it was an ‘unbelievable' swim.

Australia's Ashley Delaney finished second in a time of 1:52.86 while Irie's world record was the first in the AIS Canberra pool since Michael Klim's 100m butterfly world mark of 51.81 in December 1999.

Ryosuke stands 177cm tall and weighs just 62kg and said after the race he was confident of breaking the world record again at this year's FINA World Championships in Rome.

"I am very happy to break the world record in Australia and I am confident I can break the record again at the world championships," said Irie.

The lean, long-armed Kinki University student from Osaka was just 0.02 seconds outside American Aaron Peirsol's world record for 100m last night, clocking 52.56.

Meanwhile Australia's Meagen Nay set a new Australian record in the women's 200m backstroke, clocking 2:07.41 ((30.12; 1:02.66; 1:34.84) - the eighth fastest all-time.

Nay revealed after her swim she has been sick during the Telstra Dolphins camp in Canberra and has had two courses of anti-biotics.

"But I have done some good sets in training, actually better than before Beijing, so I knew I was capable of swimming fast," said Meagen.

"I thought it would be a nice Mother's Day gift for my mum Karen, back in Queensland."

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