MELBOURNE, Nov 28: Australian Leisel Jones broke a world record in the women’s 100-metres breaststroke at the Australian leg of the World Cup shortcourse meet here on Friday.

Jones, who also holds the 100m breaststroke longcourse record, added the shortcourse record tonight, breaking Swede Emma Igelstrom’s mark of 1:05.11 by two-hundredths of a second.

She swam one minute 05.09 seconds to beat fellow Australian Brooke Hanson (1:05.45) and American Amanda Beard (1:06.00).

But the meet lost one of its star drawcards when world and Olympic champion Ian Thorpe was forced out of his 100m freestyle race on Friday with diarrhoea.

Thorpe withdrew after feeling ill late in the day, joining fellow world and Olympic champion teammate Grant Hackett on the sidelines.

“He was suffering from diarrhoea late today and saw the doctor before the race, who advised him to pull out,” Australian Swimming media manager Ian Hanson said.

Thorpe is scheduled to swim the 50m freestyle on Sunday, with Hanson saying Thorpe would make a decision either Saturday or Sunday whether he was well enough to compete.

Hackett, who collapsed poolside at Wednesday night’s meet in Sydney after suffering an asthma attack, withdrew from the 400m freestyle on Friday.

He is not expected to compete in his other scheduled event at the meet — the 200m freestyle on Saturday.

American sensation Michael Phelps continued his great form in Australia, winning both his races.

Phelps won the 200m butterfly in 1:52.27, before backing up to take the 100m individual medley in 53.30.

The three-day meet finishes on Sunday.—AFP