SYDNEY, March 31: Lisbeth Lenton set a world record in the 100 metres freestyle at the Australian national championships and Olympic selection trials on Wednesday.

Lenton won the first semifinal in a time of 53.66 seconds to better the mark of 53.77 set by Dutchwoman Inge de Bruijn at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Jodie Henry qualified second fastest for Thursday's final by winning the second semi-final in 53.77, which had been the world mark just three minutes earlier.

The red-suited Lenton gasped in shock during a pool side interview after her world record swim. Lenton and Henry both need top-two finishes in Thursday's final to secure Olympic places in the 100m freestyle.

Lenton was third in the 50 freestyle final behind de Bruijn and Australia's Alice Mills at last year's Barcelona world championships, while placing fifth in the 100 freestyle.

Ian Thorpe came home strongly to overhaul Ashley Callus and win the men's 100m freestyle final on Wednesday. The Olympic 400m freestyle champion, who was attempting to qualify for the 100, 200 and 400 freestyle events and three relays at Athens, was disqualified from his 400 heat last week and ruled out of the event under the one false-start policy.

The sport-mad country has since debated if Thorpe should be given another chance to qualify for his favourite event. The 21-year-old ignored the hysteria and maintained his focus to win the 200 final on Monday at the championships, which double as selection trials for the August 13-29 Athens Games.

Understandably cautious off the blocks on Wednesday, Thorpe powered past Callus who led by half a body length inside the final 25 metres. Thorpe won in 48.83 seconds, 0.99 seconds outside Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband's world record.

Thorpe said he had had emerged a stronger person from the experience of his disqualification in the 400 freestyle. Thorpe, who holds the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle world records, was full of praise for Lenton. Wednesday while former world champion Petria Thomas was first in the women's 200 butterfly final in 2:06.79. - Reuters