Japan set mixed freestyle world record

Japan broke the only world record of the Dubai leg of the World Cup, slashing half a second from the previous mark in the mixed 4x50m freestyle on Friday. Russia had set the previous record less than a week ago in Moscow?s third leg, but that did not remain intact for long as Japan, represented by Shinri Shioura, Satyaka Akase, Kenta Ito and Kanako Watanabe, finished in 1min 32.52sec, ahead of second-placed Brazil and China. Russia?s timing last Sunday was 1:33.01. It was Ito, racing the penultimate leg, who created the record momentum, covering his distance in 20.7sec. South Africa?s Chad le Clos matched his three-gold performance from Moscow, adding the 200m individual medley and 100m butterfly golds on Friday to his 200m butterfly win on Thursday. Hungary?s Katinka Hosszu, the overall winner of the World Cup last year, added two more golds and a silver to her two golds, one silver and two bronzes from Thursday. The 100m butterfly was the race of the day, with Clos edging out American Tom Shields by two-hundredth of a second in a thrilling encounter. And even though the two were nowhere close to Evgeny Korotyshkin?s world record of 48.48, le Clos did go out at a scorching pace of 22.88sec for the first 50m. Shields then took over, producing a spectacular burst coming home. He needed just 25.96sec for his last 50m and almost snatched the gold from le Clos. Finally, it was 49.14sec for le Clos and 49.16sec for Shields. Compared to the 100m butterfly, it was a comfortable win for le Clos in the 200m individual medley, even though he trailed Australia?s Kenneth To at the 150-meter mark. But le Clos finished fast, covering the home run in 26.30sec to win the gold at 1:53.21, with To finishing second at 1:54.68. The 24-year-old Hosszu won the 400m individual medley with a time of 4:29.09 ?- much slower than her own world record of 4:20.85 in Berlin this year -? and was peerless in the 200m butterfly, where she touched the pad in 2:06.30. Spain?s Mirela Belmonte was the runner-up in both occasions. Hosszu?s silver came in the 100m individual medley, where she finished behind Jamaica?s Alia Atkinson. It was Atkinson?s second gold of the meet after her effort in the 100m breaststroke on Thursday. Italy?s Gergorio Paltrinieri won the men?s 1500m freestyle at 14:36.25 ahead of crowd favourite, Tunisia?s Ous Mellouli, while Australia?s Bobby Hurley led from start to finish to win the men?s 200m freestyle ahead of South African Miles Brown at 1:44.12. Hurley later also took the 50m backstroke ahead of Russia?s Vladimir Morozov in 23.31sec. But Morozov was not to be denied as he romped home in 20.66sec ?- more than seven-tenths of a second faster than Trinidad?s George Bovell -- to win the marquee 50m freestyle. Morozov?s timing was just .09sec outside of Roland Schoeman?s world record of 20.57sec. From: AFP