Swimming: Kiwis smash record, miss final

A record-breaking effort was not quite enough to get the New Zealand men's medley relay team into their final on the last day of the world swimming championships in Rome today.

Daniel Bell, Glenn Snyders, Corney Swanepoel and Cameron Gibson clocked three minutes, 31.58 seconds for the 4x100m medley relay, slashing two seconds off the national record set during the final at the Beijing Olympics.

But in the Foro Italico venue today, the New Zealanders were 11th fastest, and 7/10ths of a second from a spot in the final.

"It was a brilliant swim from the guys and a huge New Zealand record," head coach Jan Cameron said.

"There were 45 counties represented in the medley relay which is a remarkable number and about half of them were around the time we set in Beijing so the standard and depth here is quite incredible."

Bell became the first New Zealander under the 54sec barrier for the 100m backstroke, breaking his own national record with a 53.85sec lead-off for the relay.

Snyders went 59.75sec for the breaststroke, faster than in Beijing, while his clubmate, Swanepoel, produced a stunning 50.45sec for his butterfly, more than a second faster than the Olympics and under his national record on converted times.

Gibson rounded it off with a 47.53 freestyle leg which left the New Zealanders with the seventh fastest time with one heat remaining.

USA and Russia went quicker in the final heat, while great freestyle legs by Canada and South Africa edged New Zealand back to 11th.

"I could not have asked for more. It was a terrific swim from all of them," Cameron said.

"We had some big swimming powerhouses behind us like Spain, the hosts Italy and China.

"If we can repeat that performance at the next world championships then it will automatically qualify us for London 2012."

- NZPA