Swimming: Kean comes last - but in record time

Gareth Kean. Photo / Getty Images

Gareth Kean had the satisfaction of further lowering his New Zealand record despite finishing last in a sensational 100m backstroke final at the world swimming championships in Shanghai last night.

The Wellington 19-year-old, who set a record time of 53.69 seconds to qualify for the final, shaved a further .19s off that last night, clocking 53.50s.

The race produced a dead heat for gold between two French swimmers, Camille Lacourt and Jeremy Stravius, who touched side by side in 52.76s.

Japan's Ryosuke Irie took bronze in 52.98.

The distance is not Kean's favourite. He prefers the 200m backstroke, which is on tomorrow, but this was a memorable bonus.

North Shore swimmer Glenn Snyders missed out on a place in the 50m breaststroke final last night.

Snyders was sixth quickest into the semifinals with a national record-setting 27.52s that took .15s off his own best mark.

But he was .12s slower in the semifinal, finishing fourth - and that was costly, as only the first three from his race made the final.

The second semifinal was the faster race with the first three finishers, led by world champion Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa in 26.90, recording the three best times.

Snyders finished ninth overall, missing the final by .07s.

He was third quickest off the blocks and had he matched his heat time he would have been seventh quickest and into the final.

It was the second semifinal disappointment for Snyders, who also missed the 100m final despite setting another national record in that event on Monday.

Lauren Boyle also missed her 200m freestyle final, after a disappointing fifth placing in her semifinal.

Boyle, who was eighth best in the heats in a national record 1:57.72, clocked 1:58.09. The eighth and final spot in the field went to American Alison Schmitt in 1:57.07.

Femke Heemskerk was fastest qualifier into the final in 1:55.54.

There was delight for the host nation last night when Jing Zhao won a surprise 100m women's backstroke final in 59.05.

Earlier, Taranaki's Dylan Dunlop-Barrett finished 34th overall out of 51 in the 800m, qualifying in 8:13.06.

As a comparison, the eighth and final spot in last night's final went to American Chad La Tourette, who put up 7:49.94.

Dunlop-Barrett's best - and the national record - is 8:03.09. That time would have put him 21st overall yesterday.