MELBOURNE, Dec 8: German Thomas Rupprath set a world short-course 100 metres backstroke record at the World Cup on Sunday after an initial disqualification was over-turned.

The German swimmer clocked 50.58 seconds in the morning heats, bettering the previous world mark of 50.75 set by American Neil Walker in March 2000, only to learn he had been disqualified for swimming too far underwater.

The German team immediately protested against the disqualification and the referee later reinstated him, much to the swimmer’s relief.

“I didn’t know why I was disqualified. I looked to my coach and he didn’t know why,” Rupprath said. “I think I was correct and thanks to the referee...it’s a new world record.”

Drained by the episode, Rupprath failed to repeat his record breaking performance in the final and was beaten into second place by Australia’s Matt Welsh, the current long-course world champion, in a time of 51.56.

But Rupprath gained some consolation when he won the 100 metres butterfly final, giving him his fourth victory in three days and earning him the title of male swimmer of the meet.

Sweden’s Emma Igelstrom won the women’s award after winning three breaststroke titles.

Short-course meeting results

Men

50 metres freestyle 1. Pieter van den Hoogenband (Netherlands) 21.72 seconds 2. Mark Foster (Britain) 21.75 3. Aaron Ciarla (U.S.) 21.92

1,500 metres freestyle 1. Stephen Penfold (Australia) 14:47.49 2. Massimiliano Rosolino (Italy) 15:00.24 3. Craig Stevens (Australia) 15:01.89

100 metres backstroke 1. Matt Welsh (Australia) 51.56 2. Thomas Rupprath (Germany) 51.87 3. Toni Helbig (Germany) 52.81

200 metres breaststroke 1. David Denniston (U.S.) 2:07.53 2. Jim Piper (Australia) 2:08.21 3. Roman Sludnov (Russia) 2:11.86

100 metres butterfly 1. Thomas Rupprath (Germany) 50.82 2. Igor Marchenko (Russia) 51.27 3. Adam Pine (Australia) 51.77

400 metres individual medley 1. Batiste Levaillant (France) 4:12.53 2. Mitchell Bacon (Australia) 4:15.74 3. Adam Lucas (Australia) 4:17.03

Women:

200 metres freestyle 1. Elka Graham (Australia) 1:55.12 2. Kirsten Thomson (Australia) 1:56.58 3. Lindsay Benko (U.S.) 1:56.98

50 metres backstroke 1. Giaan Rooney (Australia) 28.04 2. Zhang Tianyi (China) 28.19 3. Dyana Calub (Australia) 28.27

50 metres breaststroke 1. Emma Igelstrom (Sweden) 30.58 2. Zoe Baker (Britain) 30.68 3. Brooke Hanson (Australia) 31.01

200 metres butterfly 1. Felicity Galvez (Australia) 2:08.62 2. Rachel Komisarz (U.S.) 2:09.16 3. Lara Davenport (Australia) 2:09.98

200 metres individual medley 1. Zhang Tianyi (China) 2:10.78 2. Brooke Hanson (Australia 2:13.56 3. Pam Hanson (U.S.) 2:13.83—Reuters