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HOBART, Australia, August 28. ACCORDING to Swimming Australia reports, Leisel Jones and Libby Lenton erased a pair of short course meter world records within 10 minutes of each other at the 2006 Telstra Australian Short Course Championships at the Hobart Tattersall’s Aquatic Center
Jones was first with a stunning 1:03.86 in the 100-meter breaststroke – her second world mark in 24 hours. She also became the first woman in history to clock a sub-1:04 in the event after slashing .67 seconds off the previous standard of 1:04.79 set by American Tara Kirk in Sydney on November 28, 2003.
Lenton followed with an equally impressive swim of her own, slashing 0.39 seconds off the 100-meter butterfly world record held by American Natalie Coughlin with a time of 55.95.
The five-time Olympic medalist Jones has now broken six world records this year – the long and short course 100-meter breaststroke twice each, the long course 200-meter breaststroke and as part of Australia’s 400-meter medley relay that won the Commonwealth Games.
Before the race Jones wasn’t sure she had any improvement left after last night.
“Going into warm up 1:03 was my goal but I didn’t think I actually had it in me so I just psyched myself up for it and I found something I probably didn’t think I had,” Jones said. “I think I rushed it a little and didn’t feel as good as I should have. You never know how much you have got left in you because last night I would have said I couldn’t go any faster. You still seem to find little things and hopefully I can find a bit more strength and hopefully a bit more training under my belt as well.”
Lenton improved her best time by 0.65 seconds and now holds world records for 100 and 200-meter freestyle and the 100-meter butterfly in the short course pool.
“Coming into tonight I knew I only had one more swim so I really wanted to finish on a high note and after my 50-meter butterfly I knew I had quite a lot of speed,” Lenton said. “I knew I could do a personal best and I’ve come up with a great swim so I’m really happy. I’ve been second to Jess for a couple of years but after that maybe people will take me seriously as a flyer. It’s great when Leisel swims well and it gives me confidence because we do the same training.”
The history re-writing continued when Brisbane 20-year-old Leith Brodie set his second Australian record in as many nights, this time erasing Matt Dunn’s seven-year-old 200-meter IM time from the record books. Brodie clocked 1:55.77, which is also the 11th-fastest time in history.