HACKETT'S 800 FREESTYLE RECORD ANNIHILATED

ROME, July 29: Grant Hackett's 800m freestyle world record was obliterated at the FINA world championships on Wednesday as Australia lost yet another champion's name from the record books. TODD BALYM AAP reports...

China's Zhang Lin ripped 6.53 seconds off Hackett's 2005 world championship time to win in 7:32.12.

Hackett now joins Ian Thorpe (400m freestyle), Stephanie Rice (200m individual medley) and Leisel Jones (100m breaststroke) to have had their records broken in the controversial new swim suits at the Foro Italico.

Tunisia's Olympic 1500m freestyle champion Oussama Mellouli (7:35.27) also swum under Hackett's time of 7:38.65 from Montreal, while Canada's Ryan Cochrane claimed the bronze in 7:41.92.

Zhang's record was one of six in an action packed session, taking the tally for the meet to 22.

Australia's Sophie Edington just missed etching her name into the records in the 50m backstroke semi-finals despite going under the previous world best.

Edington touched the wall in 27.51s, to be 0.10s under the old mark, but was beaten by Germany's Daniela Samulski (27.39s).

Samulski's record didn't last long as Russia's Anastasia Zueva went 0.01s faster in the following semi-final.

Australia's 100m bronze medallist Emily Seebohm (27.70s) qualified for the final in seventh.

"Obviously it's a pretty fast field. There was world records in both races," said Edington.
  

"Hopefully I can go quicker tomorrow night in the final. I had a terrible finish."

It was the first night Australia failed to win a medal, with 100m champion Brenton Rickard the only finalist and touching in fourth place in the 50m breaststroke.

South African Cameron van der Burgh won the gold in a new world record time of 26.67s, followed by Brazil's Felipe Silva (26.76s) and USA's Mark Gangloff (26.86s).

Rickard was just 0.09s off the medals in 26.95s, but knows the 200m heats starting Thursday is his best event.

"I did a reasonable swim and I came fourth and there is no shame in that," said Rickard.

"The 200 is probably an event I'm better suited too so hopefully in the 200 I can get back on top of the No.1 podium again.

"I will be pretty tough to beat in the next couple of days."

Australia's Jess Schipper (2:04.87) and Samantha Hamill (2:05.99) both qualified for the 200m butterfly final in third and seventh respectively.

For Schipper it was her first personal best time over the distance since 2006.

"It's been three very long years since I've done one in the 200 fly so I'm just so happy to finally do a PB," she said.

"It hurt so much this morning and tonight the race plan was to go out a lot slower and an even speed and use more energy in the last 100 and it worked."

 Leith Brodie could be a shock medallist for Australia in the 200m individual medley after qualifying third fastest for the final.

Brodie clocked 1:56.75 to trail USA's Ryan Lochte (1:55.18) and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh (1:55.18) into the final.