Phelps beaten to gold by Biedermann

Phelps beaten to gold by Biedermann
Eurosport - Tue, 28 Jul 19:40:00 2009

Germany's Paul Biedermann set a world record and beat Michael Phelps to win the 200 metres freestyle final at the World Championships.

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Biedermann, who had broken the world record to take gold in Sunday's 400 freestyle, swam one minute and 42 seconds to beat Phelps' Beijing Olympic mark of 1:42.96s.

"For the moment it is just like a dream. It's such an amazing feeling. I'm so fine," he said.

Asked if he had thought he could beat Olympic champion Phelps, who won the world title in 2005 and 2007, Biedermann said: "Maybe in two or three years, not now."

Second-placed Phelps, who finished in 1:43.22s, said: "Theoretically that was a pretty good swim for me. Three tenths off my best time after taking sixth months off. I'm not happy but I know I didn't train much this year."

Russia's Danila Izotov took bronze.

Britain's Gemma Spofforth set a world record to claim gold in the women's 100m backstroke final.

Spofforth clocked 58.12s to beat the mark of 58.48s that Russia's Anastasia Zueva set in the semi-finals. Zueva took the silver after finishing just 0.06 of a second behind the Briton, with Australia's Emily Seebohm claiming bronze.

Zueva was leading after 50m and Spofforth credited her late mother for helping her come from behind to win.

"My mother got me there over the last 15 metres," Spofforth said.

Olympic champion and 2007 world champion Natalie Coughlin of the United States was not competing.

Italian Alessia Filippi beat off a sustained challenge from Dane Lotte Friis to win the women's 1,500m freestyle world title in front of the ecstatic home crowd.

Filippi swam a championship record of 15:44.93s.

"It is too little to say I am amazed. I wanted this medal, I wasn't sure of getting it because my opponents are strong," Filippi said. "My attitude has changed, there is a new Alessia. I heard the crowd, they gave me great drive."

Friis was quickest in the heats and led early on but Filippi wore her down before being roared on to victory at the Foro Italico's open air pool. Camelia Alina Potec of Romania was a distant third.

Japan's Junya Koga grabbed gold in the men's 100m backstroke final. Koga beat the championship record he set in the semi-finals to prevail with a time of 52.26s.

Germany's Helge Meeuw took silver and Spain's Aschwin Wildeboer claimed the bronze medal.

World and Olympic champion Aaron Peirsol failed to make it past the semi-finals on Monday. The American backstroke ace can take consolation from the fact that the world record of 51.94s he set earlier this month.

American Rebecca Soni came within a whisker of her own world record to seize the gold medal in the women's 100m breaststroke.

Soni, the 200m breaststroke Olympic champion, won the world title in 1:04.93 seconds, just 0.09 off the mark she set in the semi-finals.

Australia's Sarah Katsoulis set the early pace, but the American held her nerve and came through with a surge in the final 50m.

Russia's Yuliya Efimova was second, while Soni's compatriot Kasey Carlson edged out Katsoulis to grab bronze.

Australia's Leisel Jones, the Olympic and 2007 world champion in the 100 breaststroke, was not competing.

Federica Pellegrini broke her own world record in the women's 200m freestyle semi-finals. The Italian, who had smashed her own world record to win Sunday's 400m final, surged through the water in 1:53.67s to better her March effort of 1:54.47s.

The Olympic champion, one of Italy's most famous sportswomen thanks to her skill and good looks, only qualified sixth in the morning heats but now looks red-hot favourite for Wednesday's final.

"This morning I was a bit empty but that's normal. I'm very happy. I want to stay with a low profile and see (about the final)," she said.

World title holder Laure Manaudou of France is not competing after taking the year off.

Cameron van der Burgh destroyed the men's 50m breaststroke world record in the semi-finals. The South African swam 26.74s to beat Felipe Franca da Silva's May mark of 26.89s. Brazilian Da Silva qualified third for Wednesday's final.

Van der Burgh had already broken the championship record in the morning heats