US teenager breaks world backstroke record

US teenager Melissa Franklin set the short course world record for the 200m backstroke on Saturday when she swam 2 mins 00.03 seconds at Berlin's World Cup meet. The 16-year-old from Pasadena, California, set the first world record since the ban on high-tech suits and admitted she was delighted by her achievement. "This is such a good feeling that it gives me so much energy," she said, having won three golds at July's world swimming championships in Shanghai. The teenager won world golds for the 200m backstroke and was part of the victorious 4x200m freestyle and 4x100m medley squads for the USA. Second in the Berlin backstroke final was Australia's Belinda Hocking, who timed 2 mins 01.24 secs, while Britain's Elizabeth Simmonds finished third at 2 mins 02.54 secs.