Joanne Jackson's reign at the helm of the 400m free ranks in a 50% or so non-textile suit was short-lived: wearing a 100% non-textile suit that her coach may well regard as technological doping plus,  Federica Pellegrini (ITA) set a world record of 4:00.41 at the Mediterranean Games in Pescara.

Pellegrini, Olympic 200m freestyle champion, wiped 0.25secs off the Jackson's time while wearing a Jaked01 that overshadows her achievement, just as all these suits do to one degree or another. The mark was Pellegrini's before Jackson, in the LZR that started the suits crisis, clocked 4:00.66 to take  almost a second off it to beat Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington (on 4:00.89) at British trials in Sheffield in March. Those are the only three to have dipped below 4:01. In Pescara, Coralie Balmy (FRA)  finished second in 4:05.37.

Unlike Britta Steffen, Pellegrini, who has "achieved" a few things in unpalatable circumstances now, including the use of double suits on her way to the Olympic 200m free crown and one of the world records of this year yet to be ratified, did not emerge to say that the suit helps. Instead she said: "I'm very surprised by the record, I had thought a 4:05 was on and it felt like a 4:09."

Alberto Castagnetti, coach to Pellegrini, dubbed the Speedo LZR "technological doping" last year at a time when arena was the Italian federation suit sponsor. Italy then switched to Jaked in search of going beyond the LZR and this year will don a 100% polyurethane suit that enhances performance in a very significant way.

The Splits Compared:

• Pellegrini: 58.50; 1:59.24; 3:00.16; 4:00.41
• Jackson:    58.49; 2:00.35; 3:00.93; 4:00.66
• (Adlington  58.71; 2:00.50; 3:01.43; 4:00.89)
• 2008 Pellegrini 59.01; 1:59.60; 3:00.41; 4:01.53
• 2007 pre-problem-suits WR: Laure Manaudou (FRA): 57.81; 1:59.11; 3;01.16; 4:02.13

The new all-time top 400m swims:

• 4:00.41 Pellegrini ITA 2009
• 4:00.66 Jackson GBR 2009
• 4:00.89 Adlington GBR 2009 
• 4:02.13 Manaudou FRA 2006
• 4:02.20 Hoff USA 2008
• 4:03.60 Balmy FRA 2008
• 4:03.85 Evans USA 1988

Come back Janet, how great you were!

Pellegrini was not done there: she split 53.03 (0.2sec better than her previous best relay split, also from this year) to bring the Italian 4x100m free quartet home to victory in another jet-suited standard that got past what passed for swimming not too long ago before the storm set in. The total time: 3:40.63.

They would just have pipped Oussama Mellouli (TUN), Olympic 1,500m free champion and double Med Games champion in very swift times inside half an hour in Pescara. At 18:41, he set off on his way to victory in the 200m medley, in 1:58.38, and at 19:05, he set off on his way to a 3:42.71 victory in the 400m freestyle. That set a Games record by more than 6sec and lifted the US-based African to fifth best ever up from ninth on 3:43.45. Mellouli was wearing a Jaked01, which overshadows his efforts, just as all such suits do to one degree or another. The Jaked01 is 100% polyurethane and enhances performance to different degrees in different swimmers on different strokes and distances.

In the medley, Mellouli held off a big improver: from Greece, Romanos Alyfantis took silver in 1:59.89, which compares to a 2008 best of 2:04.05. In the freestyle, Sam Pizzetti (ITA) clocked 3:48.37 for silver ahead of another Tunisian, Ahmed Mathlouthi, a 20-year-old who had no entry in the world rankings last year but clocked 3:47 this spring past. In Pescara, he took bronze in 3:49.65.

In other action, the winners were:

• Women's 50m Backstroke: Elena Gemo (ITA) 28.60
• Men's 50m Backstroke: Aschwin Wildeboer (ESP) 24.73
• Women's 100m Breaststroke: Roberta Panara (ITA) 1:08.47
• Men's 100m Breaststroke: Melquiades Alvarez (ESP) 1:00.45 (2008 best: 1:01.48); ahead of Caba Siladji (SRB), on 1:00.68 (2008 best: 1:01.98)
• Women's 200m medley: Camille Muffat (FRA) 2:10.36