Phelps breaks 100m butterfly world record

FASTBREAK:

Agence France-Presse
First Posted 08:08:00 07/10/2009

Filed Under: swimming, 100mbutterfly, records

INDIANAPOLIS — Michael Phelps broke the 100m butterfly world record Thursday, clocking 50.22sec to win the title at the USA Swimming World Championship trials.

Phelps broke the previous record of 50.40sec set by Ian Crocker on July 30, 2005 at the World Championships in Montreal.

The record takes Phelps's current tally of world marks to five, along with the 200m freestyle, 200m butterfly and 200m and 400m individual medley.

The American had won the 100m fly title at the past two Olympic Games, but hadn't been able to wrest the world record from Crocker.

Phelps had held the 100 fly world mark before - for a day. He broke it in the semi-finals at the 2003 World Championships, only to have Crocker lower the mark in winning the final the following day.

Tyler McGill was second in 51.06, and Aaron Peirsol was third in 51.30.

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