Swimming: Double delight as Dutch set pace at pool

By PETER JESSUP

It was double Dutch delight at the Olympic pool last night as Inge De Bruijn and Pieter van den Hoogenband spearheaded another clutch of world records.

De Bruijn clipped 0.03s from her own mark for the 100m butterfly and set the tone for the men's 200m and 400m medley swimmers.

Van den Hoogenband showed Ian Thorpe won't have things all his own way by slicing 0.16s off the Australian's 200m freestyle mark in his semifinal.

De Bruijn was just ahead at the turn and put on a precision last 50m with stunning power to come home in 56.61s for the sixth world record in three days at the pool. Two more followed to make it eight.

"Jacco, I love you," she screeched at boyfriend-coach Jacco Verhaeren, clasping her hands - with the distinctive long silver nails she prepares prior to each competitive swim - to her face then jumping from the pool to hug him.

Martina Moravcova from Slovakia was second, a split-second outside De Bruijn's mark. Dara Torres, 33, from the United States, was third.

The US favourite for the men's 100m breaststroke, Ed Moses, was beaten out by an unheralded European, Italian Domenico Fioravanti of Italy, as swimmers from the continent continued to make an unexpected mark.

Fioravanti was home in the new Olympic record of 1m0.46s, just 0.10 outside the world mark set by Russian Roman Sloudnov, who was third, and 0.27s ahead of Moses.

But the US medley world record-holder Tom Dolan made amends, cutting his mark by 0.56s to 4m11.76s to come home well clear of teammate Erik Vendt and Canadian Curtis Myden, locked together about 3s behind.

Van den Hoogenband, nicknamed "Hoogie", recorded 1m45.35 in his semi of the 200m free to shave the world mark Sydneysider Thorpe set in this pool at the Pan Pacific champs in May. Thorpe followed and won heat two in 1.45.37 to set up a stunning final tonight.

The new, fast-skin suits are being used by most swimmers but most have been cut back from the early full body cover to a variety of versions that allow more freedom in arm and leg movement.

The swimmers, though, say it is support from a swim-wise crowd and the atmosphere they create, along with the quality of competitors, that is lifting them to break world marks at a rate never seen before.

The record-breaking is certain to continue tonight when Thorpe and Van den Hoogenband front up for the 200m free and 4x200 relay, one sure to carry the other over the mark.

Form would also suggest further records in the men's and women's 50m and 100m, those races coming between Tuesday and Saturday.