Swimming: Hackett shatters 1500m record and de Bruijn picks up third gold

FUKUOKA - Australia's Grant Hackett set a world record to win the 1500m freestyle at the world championships in Fukuoka last night.

His time of 14m 34.56s sliced 7.10s off the previous mark as he defended the title he won in 1998.

The 21-year-old Australian emerged from the shadows of two compatriots when he beat the mark Kieren Perkins set in 1994 and finally won a world championship gold medal after earning two silvers behind Ian Thorpe.

Qualifying fastest for the final in 15m 7.19s, Hackett was targeting the world record 14m 41.66s set by Perkins at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, in 1994.

Hackett won the Olympic Games gold medal last year, edging Perkins into a silver medal that ended his eight-year domination of the 30-lap race.

"I've wanted this record so badly," Hackett said.

Triple Olympic champion Inge de Bruijn won her third title of the championships with a clear-cut victory in the women's 50m freestyle final.

The 27-year-old Dutchwoman, who had earlier won the 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly, swept home in 24.47s to win by nearly half a second.

Sweden's Therese Alshammar had to settle for her second silver of the championships behind de Bruijn in 24.88s. She also finished second in the 50m butterfly.

Germany's Sandra Voelker, the 100m freestyle bronze medallist, collected another bronze in 24.96s.

In the diving competition, Olympic champion Tian Liang clinched victory in the 10m platform to give China their eighth diving gold medal.

- AGENCIES