Swimming World Championships - Day 5

Kirsty Balfour may have missed out on a medal in the 100m metres breaststroke at the FINA World Championships in Melbourne, but she has a second chance to rewach the podium after qualifiying second fastest for tomorrows 200 metre final.

American Natalie Coughlin set a championship record of 53.40 seconds in qualifying fastest from the Women's 100m Freestyle Semi-Final. Australian Lisbeth Lenton and current world record holder Britta Steffen should be her main rivals for gold in the final.

Michael Phelps claimed his thrird world records and fourth gold medal in winning the Men's 200m Individual Medley Final. Compatriot Ryan Lochte managed to compete with him until the final stages and took silver, while Hungary secured its first medal in Melbourne with a bronze to Laszlo Cseh.

Kirsty Balfour completed her Women's 200m Breaststroke Semi-Final in 2:25.45 and looked good as she ensured her progress to the final. Balfour qualified second fastest for tomorrow’s final behind Australian Leisel Jones in the same semi-final. Jones, the reigning world champion, is on target for a breaststroke double. Suzaan Van Biljon of South Africa won the second heat.

Canadian Brent Hayden and Italian Filippo Magnini shared the gold medal in the Men's 100m Freestyle Final. It's the first time that two athletes have recorded the same winning time at a FINA World Championships, with both men touching the wall in 48.43. It was the first gold medal for both countries. Australia's Eamon Sullivan was just 0.04 of a second behind in a thrilling finish with seven swimmers almost aligned across the pool.


The Australian hosts got their fourth gold through Jessicah Schipper in the Women's 200m Butterfly Final. The world record completed in a time of 2:06.39, ahead of American Kimberly Vandenberg and Otylia Jedrzejczak of Poland.

Kosuke Kitajima (Japan) was the quickest in the Men's 200m Breaststroke Semi-Final. Australia's Brenton Rickard and Italy's Paolo Bossini were the closest challengers.

American Leila Vazeri won the Women's 50m Backstroke Final, in a world record time of 28.16, well clear of Belarusian Aliaksandra Herasimenia and Australian Tayliah Zimmer.

James Goddard and Gregor Tait both qualified from the Men's 200m Backstroke Semi-Final. Ammericans, Ryan Lochte and Aaron Peirsol won the two heats, with Lochte qualifying slightly quicker than the defending champion. Markus Rogan of Austria seems the most likely cahllenger.

Despite recording a new British Record in the Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final the British quartet of Caitlin McClatchey, Mel Marshall , Fran Halsall and Jo Jackson were fifth in a time of 7:57.02. The gold went to the USA, in their ninth World Record of the ten already recorded, so far, this week. They finished in 7:50.09, silver went to Germany in 7:53.82 and France took the bronze in 7:55.96.