By Stephen Thomas
SYDNEY — Klim Reclaims 50 fly World Record
Michael Klim reclaimed his 50m fly Short Course world record from Swed Lars Frolander at a club meet at the Australian Institute of Sport pool Sunday. Klim took 0.08 seconds off the mark set by Frolander in March, at the World Short Course Championships in Athens, touching in 23.11 seconds. Klim's main competition for the gold in the 100m fly at the Sydney Olympics,
compatriot Geoff Huegill, broke the long course 50 fly world record at the Australian trials in May.
Alex Popov, Klim's Canberra training partner and rival for the 100 freestyle title in September, went within 0.06 of a second of his own world record in semi-final of the 100 free at the Russian trails in Moscow last night. Popov clocked 48.27 to swim the second fastest time in history behind his '94 mark set at the World Championships in Rome. He is considered likely to break his record in the final tomorrow. Popov had already broken American Tom Jager's ten-year-old 50 free world record clocking 21.64 seconds earlier in the meet. His performances place him in great shape to attempt to achieve a unique feat, the men's freestyle sprint double at a third consecutive Olympics.