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Moses Betters Robinson's 50m Breast World Record

Apr 1, 2001  - Phillips 66 Nationals - Day 5

Courtesy US Swimming
Austin, Texas - Familiar faces topped the awards stand tonight as four of the five winners tonight were 2000 US Olympians. Aaron Piersol (200m back), Kristy Kowal (200m breast), Tom Wilkens (200m individual medley) and Anthony Ervin (50m free) backed up their Olympic performances with national titles.

One of the closest races of the night was the women's 200m breast. Kowal and Megan Quann traded turns leading the race, but in the end it was Kowal who touched first (2:26.57) with Amanda Beard (2:27.90) squeezing through to take second. Beard declined the trip to Worlds, which means both Kowal and Quann will compete in the 100m and 200m breast at the World Championships.

"I'm glad to have the 100 back," Kowal said. "That was the hardest thing in Australia, to watch the 100 breast. It broke my heart."

Another record fell tonight, as Aaron Peirsol touched the wall in 1:56.56 to get the US Open record in the 200m back by one one-hundredth of a second. The time also makes Peirsol the second-fastest man in history, behind Lenny Krayzelburg. Marc Lindsay out-lasted the rest of the field to touch in 1:59.44 to make his first national team.

"People were saying this wouldn't be a fast meet, coming off an Olympic year," Peirsol said. "I guess a lot of people proved others wrong."

Colleen Lanne got her first national title tonight in the 100m freestyle. The Texas senior touched in 55.20 for her second spot on the World team. Lindsay Benko and Maritza Correia tied for second and had to do a swim-off for the second spot in the individual event at Worlds. Benko out-touched Correia in the swim-off. Tammie Stone, Courtney Shealy and Erin Phenix earned relay spots.

Tom Wilkens and Robert Margalis were 1-2 in the 200m individual medley at 2:01.58 to 2:01.69, each making their second event for Worlds. Anthony Ervin and Jason Lezak were the top two in the 50m free at 22.18 and 22.35.

Anthony Robinson's moment of fame only lasted two days as Ed Moses bettered his world record in the 50m breast in a time trial this morning with a 27.39. Robinson had broken the mark on Thursday with a 27.49, also in a time trial.

"I had to give it a try," Moses said. "I want to get all three (world records in the breaststroke)."

Moses broke the 100m breast world record on Wednesday with a 1:00.29 and nearly broke the 200m mark list night with a 2:10.40, the second-fastest time in history. The world record in the 200m breast was set by Mike Barrowman at 2:10.16 to win gold at the 1992 Olympic Games. Both Moses and Barrowman are Curl-Burke products.

Moses won a silver medal in Sydney in the 100m breast and a gold medal on the world record-breaking 400m medley relay where he became the first man to break a minute for his 100m breaststroke leg.