Melbourne, AUS - Australia's Leisel Jones was the top competitor after three days of the World Cup swimming meet at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre here.

Her world record swim in the 200m breaststroke on the second night gained her 1028 points and puts her in the front-running for the $US50,000 prize at the end of the season. She gained the second best effort of the meet - 1014 - for her 100m world record on night one.

The next two best efforts came from United States sensation Michael Phelps, a winner of four gold medals and five world records at the Barcelona World Championships in July. He scored 1010 for his swims in the 200m backstroke and 200m individual medley.

The awards for the leading coaches went to Jones' mentor Ken Wood and Phelps' coach Bob Bowman in a meet where two world records and seven World Cup records eventuated. Numerous continental, Australian All-Comer and national records fell during the three days.

The final night's competition in front of 1800 people yielded just one World Cup record, to Australia's Brooke Hanson in the 50m breaststroke, where she dimmed the star of the all-conquering Jones. For Hanson, winner of the 100m individual medley the night before, and three silver medals, it was a stellar meet. Tonight she swam two Commonwealth and Australian records in the 50m breaststroke and 200m individual medley.

Australian Petria Thomas earned her third gold medal of the meet in the 200m butterfly for five medals to finish the leading women's medal taker, just ahead of Hanson.

In men's competition, Phelps was the undoubted star with six victories, including tonight's efforts in the 100m butterfly and the 400m individual medley.

Australian Matt Welsh won the 100m backstroke for two gold and two silver while Jason Lezak (USA) continued his excellent run of victories in Melbourne with the 50m freestyle victory over Australians Ashley Callus and Michael Klim.

Men
100m butterfly: The USA's Michael Phelps collected his fifth gold medal with a workmanlike effort for him to finish 1.01s outside the world record in 51.11. He beat countryman Ben Michaelson (51.52) and Australian Adam Pine (51.95). The latter two couldn't be separated at the 50, but it was Michaelson who finished the better and did not give up any ground to Phelps over the final 25 meters.

200m breaststroke: World record holder Ed Moses (USA) may have been nearly five seconds off his world record but he was so dominant, finishing in 2:07.84. The third 50m was where the assault on the record slipped even further but he stroked consistently to head off this meet's 50m and 100m gold medallist Brenton Rickard (AUS), who came home in 2:09.57. World short course champion Jim Piper (AUS) was third in 2:10.48. Moses told the crowd after the race, it was his hardest yet at this stage of his training programme.

50m freestyle: The big swim occurred but as in past years in Melbourne it was the USA's Jason Lezak who triumphed. Australia's hope, back-from-injury Michael Klim, had the fastest time in the heats with a personal best, but could not replicate the time in the final. Klim emerged halfway down the pool in front but the same tactic after the turn saw Klim in third place after turning first. Lezak hit the wall in 21.68 to back up his 100m freestyle gold. Australia's Ashley Callus was second in 21.88, an improvement on his heat time.

400m individual medley: Michael Phelps (USA) racked up his sixth victory of the meet, leading from the front but being pushed all the way by New Zealander Dean Kent. Phelps went out in world record pace but slipped off the pace in the second leg and allowed Kent up on his shoulder by the end of the breaststroke leg. However, his strength and speed in the freestyle saw him pull away to finish in 4:06.28 with Kent second in 4:09.26. But the medals didn't go that way as it was a timed final and in the morning heats, France's Nicolas Rostoucher, the 400m freestyle gold medallist, swam 4:09.19, thus gaining the silver medal and relegating Kent to bronze medal. 100m backstroke: Australian Matt Welsh gained his second backstroke gold medal to go with his two silvers. He was beaming after the race and said everything was on track for next year. He was in a class of his own, winning in 51.13, the eighth fastest time in history. Fellow Australian Josh Watson was a distant second in 53.36 and third was the USA's Michael Gilliam from lane one in 53.49.

1500m freestyle: The longest race was a race between Canada's Kurtis MacGillivary and Italy's Massimiliano Roslino. Roslolino had the edge for the first 700m but then MacGillivary pulled steadily away, holding a half-length lead by the 1200m mark. He stretched that to more than a length to touch in 14:50.94, ahead of Rosolino (15:04.79) and Ky Hurst (15:12.46). Hurst, well known for his long distance and surf swimming in Australia, held on to third place for most of the race but just out-touched Great Briton Chris Alderton by 0.35s. MacGillivary said he just hoped to finish under 15 minutes and was elated with how much he broke that target.

Women
200m butterfly: Australia's Petria Thomas sent a stir around the pool as she appeared to false start in the first final of the evening. Thomas hit the water as a technical fault meant the light went on but the sound didn't. It didn't slow her down as she hit the water first in the restart and went to an early lead, going under world record pace for the first 50m but slowing up a shade in the second 50m. She was 1.10s off the record on the final split as she held a one-body-length over Margaret Hoelzer from the United States. Thomas touched in 2:06.71, from Hoelzer (2:08.62) and Australian Felicity Galvez (2:09.09), who slipped into third with a strong effort over the final 50m.

50m breaststroke: Australian Brooke Hanson finally gained revenge on superstar Leisel Jones when she led from start to finish, flying off the blocks. She broke the Australian record in the heats to take lane four and in the final broke the Australian, Commonwealth and World Cup records for the third-equal fastest time in history. She has at least five personal bests at this meet and took her medal tally to two gold and those two silvers behind Jones in the two world-record races. Hanson touched in 30.24, a clear margin ahead of Jones (30.57) and the USA's Olympic champion Amanda Beard (31.14).

200m freestyle: World record holder Lindsay Benko gained the ninth fastest time in history, giving her three of the top 10, when she pipped Australian Elka Graham. There was only 0.13s between the two as they jostled for the lead with Graham ahead at 50m and 150m but Benko in front at 100m and at the finish. Benko's time of 1:55.27 was 1.23s outside her record. Graham recorded 1:55.40 and the well-performed Petria Thomas (AUS) was third in 1:56.21 for her fifth medal, including three golds, a silver and the bronze. Benko added the 200m freestyle to her 400m freestyle gold, 200m backstroke silver and 100m freestyle bronze.

200m individual medley: Amanda Beard (USA) broke her bronze hoodoo, collecting three here, to win the IM. Ahead after the butterfly leg, she slipped into second after backstroke but bolted into the lead in her favoured breaststroke. She managed to hold off a fast-finishing Brooke Hanson (AUS), who took nearly five seconds off her personal best to set her second Commonwealth and Australian records of the evening. Beard was also a second or so inside her best at 2:09.48 while Hanson touched in 2:09.93. Australian Alice Mills also had a five-second improvement with her 2:11.16 time for the bronze.

50 backstroke: Australian Nicole Seah out-touched Olympic silver medallist Mai Nakamura (JPN) in the splash fest. Seah touched in 27.70 with Nakamura (27.90) and Australian Giaan Rooney third in 27.98.

Record Summary
2 world, 6 Commonwealth, 3 America, 10 Oceania (AUS), 7 world cup

RATING SUMMARY OF TOP PERFORMANCES
1)	1039	2:17.75	100 breast W	Jones Leisel,85,AUS
2)	1015	1:51.40	200 back M	Phelps Michael,85,USA
3)	1009	1:05.45	100 breast W	Hanson Brooke,78,AUS
4)	1009	52.64	100 free W	Lenton Lisbeth,85,AUS
5)	1006	51.13	100 back M	Welsh Matt,76,AUS
6)	998	2:05.47	200 back W	Hoelzer Margaret,83,USA
7)	997	57.27	100 fly W	Thomas Petria,75,AUS
8)	995	1:55.27	200 free W	Benko Lindsay,76,USA
9)	993	1:55.40	200 free W	Graham Elka,81,AUS
10)	992	1:06.00	100 breast W	Beard Amanda,81,USA




	

		
WORLD CUP 2 MEDAL TOTALS
	

	

		
 
Gold
 
Silver
 
Bronze
 
Total
	
	

		
AUS
 
18
 
20
 
19
 
57
	
	

		
USA
 
13
 
6
 
9
 
28
	
	

		
FRA
 
1
 
1
 
1
 
3
	
	

		
JPN
 
1
 
1
 
0
 
2
	
	

		
CAN
 
1
 
0
 
0
 
1
	
	

		
NZL
 
0
 
2
 
3
 
5
	
	

		
ITA
 
0
 
2
 
0
 
2
	
	

		
SWE
 
0
 
2
 
0
 
2
	
	

		
ROM
 
0
 
0
 
1
 
1
	
	

		
GER
 
0
 
0
 
1
 
1
	
	

		
Total
 
34
 
34
 
34
 
102
	



2004 FINA World Cup 2
Melbourne, AUS - Nov 28-30, 2003 (25 m)

Day 3 finals

MEN

50 METRES FREESTYLE
1	21.68	Lezak Jason,75,USA
2	21.88	Callus Ashley,79,AUS
3	22.11	Klim Michael,77,AUS
4	22.21	Pearson Todd,77,AUS
5	22.41	Thorpe Ian,82,AUS
6	22.44	English Jeffrey,78,AUS
7	22.70	Flouch Casey,82,AUS
8	22.75	Piper Sean,82,AUS

1500 METRES FREESTYLE
1	14:50.94	MacGillivary Kurtis,84,CAN
2	15:04.79	Rosolino Massi,78,ITA
3	15:12.46	Hurst Ky,81,AUS
4	15:12.81	Alderton Chris,87,GBR
5	15:14.06	Semmens Ashley,84,AUS
6	15:24.37	Thompson Andrew,86,AUS
7	15:26.87	Burmester Moss,81,NZL
8	15:37.37	Araujo Felipe,84,BRA

100 METRES BACKSTROKE
1	51.13	Welsh Matt,76,AUS
2	53.36	Watson Josh,77,AUS
3	53.49	Gilliam Michael,79,USA
4	53.65	Halgasch Sebastian,80,GER
5	53.72	Pini Ryan,83,PNG
6	54.08	Rolff Ethan,82,AUS
7	54.13	Murphy Patrick,84,AUS
8	54.34	Roger Pierre,83,FRA

200 METRES BREASTSTROKE
1	2:07.84	Moses Glenn Ed,80,USA
2	2:09.57	Rickard Brenton,83,AUS
3	2:10.48	Piper Jim,81,AUS
4	2:11.49	Harrison Regan,77,AUS
5	2:13.50	Trickett Luke,83,AUS
6	2:13.95	O'Regan Kieren,85,AUS
7	2:14.45	Nicolardot Julien,81,FRA
8	2:15.41	Leighfield Simon,73,AUS

100 METRES BUTTERFLY
1	51.11	Phelps Michael,85,USA
2	51.52	Michaelson Benjamin,82,USA
3	51.95	Pine Adam,76,AUS
4	52.58	Norris Justin,80,AUS
5	52.61	Taylor Joshua,83,AUS
6	53.07	Dodd Tim,83,AUS
7	53.43	Frank Lasse,82,GER
8	53.49	Burmester Moss,81,NZL

400 METRES IND.MEDLEY
1	4:06.28	Phelps Michael,85,USA
2	4:09.19	Rostoucher Nicolas,81,FRA
3	4:09.26	Kent Dean,78,NZL
4	4:12.88	Lucas Adam,83,AUS
5	4:17.96	McGregor Grant,78,AUS
6	4:20.29	Levaillant Batiste,80,FRA
7	4:20.76	Steed Trent,77,AUS
8	4:21.93	Norris Justin,80,AUS

WOMEN

200 METRES FREESTYLE
1	1:55.27	Benko Lindsay,76,USA
2	1:55.40	Graham Elka,81,AUS
3	1:56.21	Thomas Petria,75,AUS
4	1:57.46	Rooney Giaan,82,AUS
5	1:58.05	Fitch Alison,80,NZL
6	1:58.60	Rose Gabrielle,77,USA
7	1:59.11	Reese Shayne,82,AUS
8	1:59.56	Tomlinson Louise,81,AUS

50 METRES BACKSTROKE
1	27.70	Seah Nicole,86,AUS
2	27.90	Nakamura Mai,79,JPN
3	27.98	Rooney Giaan,82,AUS
4	28.18	McLean Hannah,81,NZL
5	28.21	Nevell Belinda,83,AUS
6	28.26	Goh Rachel,86,AUS
7	28.37	Lee Nam-Eun,89,KOR
8	28.59	Guehrer Marieke,85,AUS

50 METRES BREASTSTROKE
1	30.24	Hanson Brooke,78,AUS
2	30.57	Jones Leisel,85,AUS
3	31.14	Beard Amanda,81,USA
4	31.21	Edmistone Jade,82,AUS
5	31.48	Kasoulis Sarah,84,AUS
6	31.55	Cutts Stephanie,81,AUS
7	31.94	Tanaka Masami,79,JPN
8	32.53	Watt Abbey,85,AUS

200 METRES BUTTERFLY
1	2:06.71	Thomas Petria,75,AUS
2	2:08.62	Hoelzer Margaret,83,USA
3	2:09.09	Galvez Felicity,85,AUS
4	2:09.45	Schipper Jessica,87,AUS
5	2:10.11	Mongel Aurore,82,FRA
6	2:12.53	Garcia Mireia,81,ESP
7	2:12.72	Davenport Lara,83,AUS
8	2:12.83	Corkran Kate,83,AUS

200 METRES IND.MEDLEY
1	2:09.48	Beard Amanda,81,USA
2	2:09.93	Hanson Brooke,78,AUS
3	2:11.16	Mills Alice,86,AUS
4	2:13.21	Caslaru Beatrice,75,ROM
5	2:13.70	Limpert Marianne,72,CAN
6	2:13.74	Carroll Lara,86,AUS
7	2:14.24	Munz Lori,79,AUS
8	2:16.45	Norfolk Helen,81,NZL