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Sullivan regains 50m freestyle record

  • Story Highlights
  • Eamon Sullivan regains the 50-meter world freestyle record in Sydney
  • Sullivan sets the new mark of 21.41 seconds in the Australian Olympic trials
  • Frenchman Alain Bernard recorded a time of 21.50 seconds four days earlier
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SYDNEY, Australia -- Eamon Sullivan regained the 50-meter freestyle world record with a 21.41 seconds swim at the Australian Olympic trials in Sydney.

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Sullivan had lost his 50m freestyle record to Frenchman Alain Bernard four days ago.

He took the record back from Frenchman Alain Bernard, who recorded 21.50 seconds at the European championships four days ago.

Sullivan had held the record with 21.56, set in Sydney in February.

After missing out on Bernard's 100m record late on Wednesday, Sullivan said he hoped to improve his 50m time in Friday's final.

"I came in a bit more relaxed tonight, having got the 100m final out of the way last night and getting into the team for Beijing.

"It's sweet to get the record back off Alain after missing out on the 100m world record last night and after he broke the 50m record so quickly after I did it.

"I know I have another swim left so there's always another chance. I hope I can go faster in the final, but I like to think I can take a couple of a hundredths of a second leading into a final, so we'll see."

Sullivan missed Bernard's 100m world record by just two-hundredths of a second in qualifying in 47.52 seconds for the Olympics.

Libby Trickett broke the women's 100m freestyle world record with a 52.88 seconds swim.

Trickett, formerly Libby Lenton and competing for the first time under her married name, beat the 53.30 mark set by Germany's Britta Steffen in Budapest on August 2, 2006.

It is the second time Trickett has broken the 53-second barrier, but her previous time of 52.99 at the Duel in the Pool in Sydney last year was not ratified by FINA because she was swimming against American superstar Michael Phelps.

"I can't tell you how much I wanted to break that record ever since doing it in the Duel in the Pool in April last year. I just wanted it so badly," Trickett said.

"To see it officially up there on the scoreboard is just amazing. All my events are very important to me, but the 100m freestyle holds a special place in my heart and to know that four years ago I was going 0.8 seconds off, that is just awesome."

"I've come so far, it's been an amazing journey, but I am just so happy to be part of this team. We have some fantastic girls coming through and it's going to be great for our relay team." E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend

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