BARCELONA, July 27: Michael Phelps became the most successful athlete at the world swimming championships when he claimed his third gold and fifth medal overall with a historic fifth world record swim, in the 400 metres medley on Sunday.
Phelps played a major role as the United States re-established itself as the world’s leading swim nation with 11 gold, 12 silver and five bronze, ahead of Australia (6-10-6) one year ahead of the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
The US wrapped up the championships in style when they won the final event, the 4x100m medley relay with the 14th and final world record.
It did not even help Australia that Grant Hackett got a historic third 1,500m freestyle title. Another highlight on the closing day was the 50m backstroke world record from German Thomas Rupprath.
Phelps, 18, smashed his own 400m medley record of 4:10.73 minutes from April 6 in Indianapolis when he stormed to the gold in 4:09.09 minutes.
Laszlo Cseh of Hungary got silver in 4:10.79 and Oussama Mellouri won bronze for Tunisia in 4:15.36 minutes.
Phelps’ world records before Sunday came in the 200m butterfly, 200m medley (twice) and the 100m butterfly — although that was later raised by countryman Ian Crocker.
The 400m medley record was his fifth and bettered the major event mark of four set by Mark Spitz during his seven gold medal haul at the Munich Olympics 1972.
Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands completed successive 50m butterfly and freestyle doubles when she won the freestyle sprint in 24.47 minutes. Australians Alice Mills and Lisbeth Lenton got silver and bronze, in 25:07 and 25.08, respectively.
Results of finals on Sunday:
Men’s 4x100 metres medley relay: 1. United States three minutes 31.54 seconds (world record); (Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Ian Crocker, Jason Lezak); 2. Russia 3:34.72 (Arkady Vyatchanin, Roman Ivanovski, Igor Marchenko, Alexander Popov); 3. Japan 3:36.12 (Tomomi Morita, Kosuke Kitajima, Takashi Yamamoto, Daisuke Hosokawa); 4. France 3:36.39; 5. Netherlands 3:37.12; 6. Ukraine 3:37.28; 7. Canada 3:37.94; 8. Britain 3:38.21.
Women’s 400 metres individual medley: 1. Yana Klochkova (Ukrraine) four minutes 36.74 seconds; 2. Eva Risztov (Hungary) 4:37.39; 3. Beatrice Caslaru (Romania) 4:41.86; 4. Maggie Bowen (US) 4:43.21; 5. Nicole Hetzer (Germany) 4:43.32; 6. Diana Remenyi (Hungary) 4:45.67; 7. Georgina Bardach (Argentina) 4:46.06; 8. Jennifer Reilly (Australia) 4:48.11.
Men’s 400 metres individual medley: 1. Michael Phelps (US) 4:09.09 (world record); 2. Laszlo Cseh (Hungary) 4:10.79; 3. Oussama Mellouli (Tunisia) 4:15.36; 4. Thomas Wilkens (US) 4:16.06; 5. Massimiliano Rosolino (Italy) 4:17.30; 6. Takahiro Mori (Japan) 4:17.54; 7. Brian Johns (Canada) 4:20.27; 8. Alessio Boggiatto (Italy) 4:21.23.
Women’s 50 metres freestyle: 1. Inge De Bruijn (Netherlands) 24.47 seconds; 2. Alice Mills (Australia) 25.07; 3. Lisbeth Lenton (Australia) 25.08; 4. Jenny Thompson (US) 25.10; 5. Sandra Volker (Germany) 25.14; 6. Martina Moravcova (Slovakia) 25.17; 7. Marleen Veldhuis (Netherlands) 25.49; 8. Sviatlana Khakhlova (Belarus) 25.53.
Men’s 1,500 metres freestyle: 1. Grant Hackett (Australia) 14:43.14; 2. Igor Chervinskiy (Ukraine) 15:01.04; 3. Erik Vendt (US) 15:01.28; 4. David Davies (Britain) 15:05.04; 5. Larsen Jensen (US) 15:08.25; 6. Graeme Smith (Britain) 15:12.64; 7. Christian Minotti (Italy) 15:13.28; 8. Pawel Korzeniowski (Poland) 15:13.98.
Men’s 50 metres backstroke: 1. Thomas Rupprath (Germany) 24.80 (world record); 2. Matthew Welsh (Australia) 25.01; 3. Johannes Gerhardus Zandberg (South Africa) 25.07; 4. Steffen Driesen (Germany) 25.14; 5. Randall Bal (US) 25.19; 6. Darius Grigalionis (Lithuania) 25.53; 7. Joshua Watson (Australia) 25.62; 8. Aaron Peirsol (US) 25.75.
Women’s 50 metres breaststroke: 1. Luo Xuejuan (China) 30.67 seconds; 2. Brooke Hanson (Australia) 31.13; 3. Zoe Baker (Britain) 31.37; 4. Leisel Jones (Australia) 31.50; 5. Tara Kirk (US) 31.87; 6. Kristy Kowal (US) 31.96; 7. Sara Poewe (Germany) 32.03; 8. Elena Bogomazova (Russia) 32.27.—dpa/Reuters