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Phillips 66 Nationals - Day 3

Mar 30, 2001

Robinson Breaks World Record in 50 Breast

Courtesy US Swimming
For the second day in a row, a world record fell at the hands of an American during the Phillips 66 National Swimming Championships. Anthony Robinson (Houston, Texas/Stanford) broke the world record in the 50m breaststroke in a 100m breast time trial Thursday morning with a 27.49 at the halfway mark. His time topped Ukrainian Alexander Dzhaburiya's 1996 mark of 27.61. The 50m breast is not contested as an event at U.S. Nationals, but will be swum at World Championships in July. Both Robinson and Moses will have a shot at the 50m title, as they both qualified for the event by making the World team in the 100m breast.

"It's really nice," said Robinson of the world record. "I'll go to World Championships where they'll swim it there so going in a world record-holder will be nice."

Klete Keller struggled a bit with his pace in the 400m free last night, but he found his rhythm tonight in the 200m free. Keller was in seventh at the 100-meter mark, moving into fifth at the 150 and then turned it on in the last 50 to win the event in 1:48.89.

"After the 400, Mark (Schubert) asked me if I was sick," Keller said. ""I swam it the same (as the 400). I was just more used to long course again for this one (after swimming yards at the NCAA Championships last week). In the 400, I was tired after the first lap. I adapted my stroke some for the 200."

Scott Goldblatt (Scotch Plains, N.J./Berkeley Aquatics) almost didn't get a chance to compete for a spot on the team as he was ninth in prelims in the 200m free, but former Texas teammate Josh Davis scratched from the final, giving Goldblatt a shot at the team. Davis has decided not to attend the World Championships this summer. Goldblatt made full use of the chance, taking second in finals in 1:49.31. Nate Dusing (Villa Hills, Ky./Texas) and Jay Schryver (Loveland, Colo.) were third and fourth in the 200m free to also make the World team.

"It feels good now," Goldblatt said. "It was a little strange after this morning. But it feels good now to have done what I came to do. I'm taking him (Josh) to dinner. I'll probably still owe him after that."

Natalie Coughlin (Concord, Calif./Terrapins) was the first to qualify in two events for World Championships, as she won her second national title in two days. Coughlin won the 100m back title in 1:01.32 tonight, adding to her 100m fly win from yesterday. Herr Cal teammate Haley Cope (Chico, Calif) took second in the 100m back 1:01.98 to likely join her on the World team.

The women's 100m breaststroke found veteran Kristy Kowal (Reading, Pa./Athens Bulldogs) taking the top spot (1:08.25) with Megan Quann (Puyallup, Wash./Puyallup) right on her heels (1:08.58). The Olympic teammates will get another chance to square off at World Championships.

Aaron Peirsol (Irvine, Calif.) won his spot on the World Championships team by winning the 100m back in 54.80. Randall Bal pulled out the second-place finish by out touching Stanford's Peter Marshall, 55.00 to 55.03.

Sixteen-year-old Ashley Chandler (Chandler, Ariz./Sun Devil) surprised the field by winning the 400m free in 4:12.06. Kaitlin Sandeno (Lake Forest, Calif.) touched second in 4:12.09, to earn her second spot on the World Championships team.

Erik Vendt and Tom Wilkens were the final two of the night to make the World Championships team. Vendt out-touched Wilkens in a very close finish in the 400m individual medley, 4:14.19 to 4:14.52. Michael Phelps, the youngest member of the 2000 Olympic team at age 15, was third, rebreaking his 15-16 National Age Group record with a 4:15.20.