BRISBANE (Australia), March 22: Australia’s 100 metres backstroke world champion Matt Welsh retained his national title Friday but only after fighting off a spirited challenge from freestyle great Ian Thorpe.

Thorpe, 19, the world record holder in the 200, 400 and 800 metres freestyle, forced Welsh to go out hard in the first lap to be only 0.40 seconds off world record pace before finishing in a time of 54.96, more than a second outside American Lenny Krayzelburg’s 53.60.

Thorpe was second in 55.74 ahead of Ray Hass (56.13) in third place.

Australia’s 50 metres butterfly world champion and world record holder Geoff Huegill was on world record pace after one lap of the 100 metres butterfly but tired over the final 15 metres, finishing in 52.30.—Reuters