Second suits record holder Lenton
SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) -- Australia's new 100 meters freestyle world record holder Lisbeth Lenton had to be content with second behind Jodie Henry in her national championships final.
World championships silver medalist Henry put in a stunning swim on Thursday, just dropping off world record pace in the last five meters to win in 53.82 seconds.
Lenton won Wednesday's first semifinal in 53.66 to better the world mark of 53.77, set by Dutchwoman Inge de Bruijn at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Henry coped better with the pressure of the final, and such is strength of Australian swimming, both were just relieved at qualifying for the Athens Olympics in August.
"The semifinal was a great swim but it all came down to tonight," said Henry, 20. "I'm happy with that. I died on the second lap."
Lenton said: "I was not looking to break the world record again. I was just looking to make the Olympic team and that is what I went out there to do.
"I'm so relieved now. I have never been to an Olympics so that will take a lot of pressure off me."
The 19-year-old, who is from Brisbane, said she had needed a sleeping tablet to help her relax on Wednesday after her world record swim.
"I've been on a wild emotional rollercoaster over the past 24 hours. I'm so excited," she said.
World championships silver medalist Leisel Jones won the women's 200m breastroke final in 2:24.88 from first-time Olympian Brooke Hanson in 2:25.95.
Hanson was a surprise winner over 100m breastroke world record holder and Olympic silver medalist Jones in the final of that event on Monday.
"I went through a couple of psychological problems after the 100 and I had to re-focus and I was maybe a little bit too tense," Jones, 18, said.
"It was good practice for the Olympics," the Queenslander added.
Sydney Olympic 200m backstroke bronze medalist Matt Welsh won the men's final in 1:58.91 ahead of Patrick Murphy in 2.00.13.
Justin Norris won the men's 200m individual medley in 2:00.41 from Adam Lucas in 2:01.94.
World 200m individual medley silver medalist Ian Thorpe decided to stick with the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle at the championships, winning the two sprints and crashing out of the 400m after he was disqualified for a false start.
