Ed Moses broke the 100m breaststroke world record in Texas yesterday, winning in 1:00.29 at the United States Swim Championships.
Moses, the Sydney Olympic runner-up in the event, broke the mark of 1:00.36 set last June by Roman Sloudnov at the Russian Olympic trials.
"I could tell by the crowd's reaction how well I did," Moses said. "I just wanted to touch the wall and hear the crowd. I knew I had a great shotat it. I have been close for over a year."
The victory qualified Moses, who had a 50m split time of 28.47 seconds, for the world championships July 22-29 in Fukuoka, Japan.
The two top finishers in each event earn a trip to Japan for the world meet. The next two finishers, if of college age, become eligible for the nextWorld University Games in Beijing, China.
When Jarrod Marrs and Anthony Robinson shared second behind Moses at 1:01.39, a swim-off for the world meet berth was needed, with Robinson touching first to claim the prized spot.
Other winners included Bob Margalis in the 400m freestyle in 3:48.72, Kaitlin Sandeno in the 400m individual medley in 4:42.98 and Natalie Coughlin in the 100m butterfly in 59.40 seconds. AFP