SHEFFIELD, England, Jan. 17. BRITISH sprint star Mark Foster smashed the world record in the 50 meter (short course) butterfly at the FINA World Cup meet in Sheffield today with a brilliant performance of 22.87 seconds. His split at the 25-meter mark was 10.33 seconds.
The time eclipsed the 23.19 mark of Sweden's Lars Frolander and also the 23.11 clocked by Australia's Michael Klim but never submitted for world record ratification because it was done in a solo swim.
This was the third time Foster, 30 years of age with no intention of retiring, has set the world mark in this event and, strangely, all three performances have come in the Ponds Forge Pool in Sheffield. In 1995, he lowered the record twice.
Foster's was just one of several outstanding performances at the FINA World Cup VII meet in Sheffield, the seventh stop on the 10-venue FINA World Cup tour.
Slovakia's Martina Moravcova rebounded from what was, for her, a sub-par performance at the Imperia World Cup meet, by winning all three of her events. The Dallas-based phenom took the gold in the 50m free (25.16), 200m free (1:56.99) and 50m back (28.48) without being pushed in any of her events.
The USA's Jason Lezak swam a superb 100m freestyle, challenging Alexandre Popov's world record before settling for a 47.17–more than three full seconds ahead of his nearest pursuer.
Karen Campbell was the only other American to strike gold, winning the 100m butterfly in 59.02 seconds, comfortably ahead of South Africa's Mandy Loots (59.79).
Two other American swimmers earned medals this evening. Double Olympic distance champion Brooke Bennett clocked 8:29.71 to take second, almost six seconds in arrears of Britain's Rebecca Cooke, at 8:24.01. Olympic 100m breaststroke champion, Megan Quann, finished third in her specialty in 1:07.60, behind Australian Brooke Hanson (1:07.32) and Swede Emma Igelstrom (1:07.57).
Australia picked up a second gold medal when Lori Munz, continuing her comeback from a near-fatal auto accident last year, won the 200m individual medley in 2:11.06, more than three seconds faster than her countrywoman, Jennifer Reilly (2:14.30).
Croatia's Gordan Kozulj breezed to victory in the men's 100m back, his 52.76 effort almost a second faster than the 53.72 recorded by runner-up, Sebastian Halgasch of Germany.
Other outstanding swims were turned in by Italy's Fabio Farabegoli, who clocked 2:08.92 in winning the men's 200 breast, and Britain's Katy Sexton, victor in the women's 200 back in 2:08.13.
RESULTS
Women's 200 meters individual medley
1. Lori Munz (AUS) 2:11.06
2. Jennifer Reilly (AUS) 2:14.30
3. Sue Rolph (GBR) 2:14.52
Men's 400 meters freestyle
1. Simon Dufour (FRA) 3:47.56
2. Simone Ercoli (ITA) 3:48.66
3. Spyridon Gianniotis (GRE) 3:48.80
Women's 50 meters freestyle
1. Martina Moravcova (SVK) 25.16
2. Nadine Rolland (CAN) 25.60
3. Karen Pickering (GBR) 25.71
Men's 200 meters breaststroke
1. Fabio Farabegoli (ITA) 2:08.92
2. Morgan Knabe (CAN) 2:10.91
3. Darren Mew (GBR) 2:13.37
Women's 800 meters freestyle
1. Rebecca Cooke (GBR) 8:24.01
2. Brooke Bennett (USA) 8:29.71
3. Stacey Houldsworth (GBR) 8:31.69
Men's 100 meters individual medley
1. Jirka Letzin (GER) 54.77
2. Sebastian Halgasch (GER) 55.86
3. Paul Callis (GBR) 56.61
Women's 200 meters backstroke
1. Katy Sexton (GBR) 2:08.13
2. Clementine Stoney (AUS) 2:08.42
3. Joanna Fargus (GBR) 2:10.40
Men's 50 meters butterfly
1. Mark Foster (GBR) 22.87 world record
2. Mike Mintenko (CAN) 23.95
3. Denis Pankratov (RUS) 23.98
Men's 100 meters freestyle
1. Jason Lezak (USA) 47.17
2. David Andreasson (SWE) 50.24
3. Marc Spackman (GBR) 50.65
Women's 200 meters freestyle
1. Martina Moravcova (SVK) 1:56.99
2. Elka Graham (AUS) 1:58.03
3. Karen Pickering (GBR) 1:59.70
Men's 50 meters breaststroke
1. Morgan Knabe (CAN) 27.80
2. Darren Mew (GBR) 27.91
3. James Gibson (GBR) 28.13
Women's 100 meters breaststroke
1. Brooke Hanson (AUS) 1:07.32
2. Emma Igelstrom (SWE) 1:07.57
3. Megan Quann (USA) 1:07.60
Men's 400 meters individual medley
1. Jirka Letzin (GER) 4:13.18
2. Darren Wigg (GBR) 4:19.19
3. Adrian Turner (GBR) 4:19.69
Women's 100 meters butterfly
1. Karen Campbell (USA) 59.02
2. Mandy Loots (SAF) 59.79
3. Jordana Webb (AUS) 1:00.95
Men's 100 meters backstroke
1. Gordan Kozulj (CRO) 52.76
2. Sebastian Halgasch (GER) 53.72
3. Adam Ruckwood (GBR) 54.53
Women's 50 meters backstroke
1. Martina Moravcova (SVK) 28.48
2. Sarah Price (GBR) 28.82
3. Nadine Rolland (CAN) 28.91
Men's 200 meters butterfly
1. Ioannis Drymonaxos (GRE) 1:58.03
2. Anders Bo Pedersen (DEN) 2:00.76
3. Alex Boyce (GBR) 2:00.90