honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 7:07 a.m., Sunday, March 23, 2008

Swim: Edington breaks 50 backstroke world mark

Associated Press

SYDNEY, Australia — Sophie Edington lowered a day-old world record in the women's 50-meter backstroke today at the Australian swimming championships and Olympic trials.

Edington finished in 27.67 seconds to break the mark of 27.95 set by Australian teammate Emily Seebohn in the semifinals Saturday. Seebohn did not race in the final because it is a non-Olympic event.

Edington and Seebohn will race Monday in the women's 100 backstroke, an Olympic event.

"I've been saving it up and I'll be really excited to be putting it on again tomorrow night," Edington said. "I'm looking forward to getting out there and seeing how fast I can actually go."

Earlier, Libby Trickett appeared to be on track to break an 8-year-old world record in the 100-meter butterfly, but Inga de Bruijn's mark from the Sydney Olympics was ultimately safe.

The former Libby Lenton, swimming under her married name for the first time, finished Sunday's race in 56.81 seconds after being .22 seconds under de Bruijn's record pace at the halfway mark.

Trickett, who won five gold medals at last year's world championships, said she felt that with her place now secure on the Australian team for Beijing, she was ready to launch an attempt at the 100-meter freestyle world record later in the week.

"Hopefully it bodes well; sometimes you never really can tell," she said. "The first one at an Olympic trials is always a bit harder because you have not made the team, but now that I am there and I am on it, it is like a weight lifted off my shoulders."

Edington's world record was the third in two nights at the trials, which end Saturday.

Stephanie Rice also set the 400 individual medley mark.