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MANCHESTER, England, April 11. THE United States' contingent of Margaret Hoelzer, Jessica Hardy, Rachel Komisarz and Kara Denby knocked half-a-second from the world record in the women's 400 medley relay to close the third night of swimming at the FINA World Short Course Championships.
The foursome clocked a time of 3:51.36 to break the 3:51.84 world and meet record set by Australia back in 2006. The swim also broke the American record of 3:55.68 set back in 2004.
Here is a comparison of the new and old world-record splits:
Australia: Tayliah Zimmer (58.54), Jade Edmistone (1:04.95), Jessicah Schipper (56.36), Libby Lenton (51.99)
United States: Margaret Hoelzer (58.79), Jessica Hardy (1:03.98), Rachel Komisarz (55.93), Kara Denby (52.66).
The Australians pushed them the whole way as Rachel Goh, Sarah Katsoulis, Felicity Galvez and Alice Mills touched second in 3:52.01, while Great Britain's Elizabeth Simmonds, Kate Haywood, Jemma Lowe and Fran Halsall placed third in 3:53.02. Great Britain crushed its national record of 3:59.80 set during prelims.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands team of Hinkelien Schreuder, Jolijn van Valkengoed, Inge Dekker and Marleen Veldhuis set a national record with a fourth-place 3:56.07. The previous record had been a 4:00.63 from prelims.
In fifth place, Russia's squad of Ksenia Moskvina, Yuliya Efimova, Daria Belyakina and Kira Volodina broke a national record with a 3:58.38. That readout wiped away the 4:00.34 set during prelims as well.
Another national record fell when South Africa's team of Melissa Corfe, Suzaan van Biljon, Mandy Loots and Lize-Mari Retief touched seventh in 4:00.73. That nipped the 4:00.88 set back in 2002.
At the end of three days of swimming, nine world records have fallen with an astounding five falling during the third day of action.