Five world short-course records have so far fallen at the Moscow round of the FINA/Arena world cup as swimmers take the chance to wear performance-enhancing suits at the last few competitions before they are banned from January 1, 2010. The tally of shiny suit record set since February 2008 now stands at 206 (98 this year so far with more almost guaranteed), with some of those having been cancelled out in the flip-flopping of regulations earlier in the year.

Friday saw two marks fall. The 26.23 standard of Sanja Jovanovic (CRO) over 50m back is no more. It now stands at 26.17 to Marieke Guehrer (AUS). The world mark of 2:06.13 that had stood to Kirtsy Coventry (ZIM) since she claimed the world s/c crown in Manchester in 2008 is no more. The mark now stands at 2:06.01 to Evelyn Verraszto (HUN), who kept Whitney Myers (USA) at bay in Moscow by 2.78sec. 

Evelyn Verraszto is the daughter of Zoltán Verrasztó, Olympic silver and bronze medallist in 1980, former world-record holder and one of those who coach Evelyn and brother David, alongside coach Balazs Fehérvári. Sandor Szeles, mentor to Daniel Gyurta, has also coached  Evelyn Verrasztó. A rare example, possibly unique example as Hungarian reporter Zoltán Orlay notes, of one former world record holder coaching his offspring to a world record.

On Saturday, the 29.45 that was the 50m breaststroke mark since last month was replaced by a 29.36 by Jessica Hardy, the American back from a doping suspension and in Moscow 0.94sec ahead of Leisel Jones, the Australian wearing a garment that will be allowed in 2010.

South African George du Rand took the 200m backstroke world record with a 1:47.08 blast that wiped 0.76sec off the mark that had stood to Markus Rogan since the Austrian claimed the world s/c crown in 2008. Second in Moscow was Arkady Vyatchanin, on 1:48.69, and what looked like the "insignificant suit" race continued from third sport onwards with Aussie Ashley Delaney on 1:51.04.

And Evgeny Korotyshkin claimed the 100m 'fly mark in 48.99. The Russian trains in Italy under the guidance of Andre di Nino and has the likes of Milorad Cavic (SRB) to aim at.

The breakers were in evidence elsewhere. Hardy fell 0.03sec shy of Jones's world 100m record won win the four-length sprint in 1:03.75. Rikke Moeller Pedersen (DEN) was second in 1:04.43, Jones third in 1:04.61. Verraszto also took second place in the 200m back, her 2:05.91 adrift the 2:04.59 win for Ukraine's Daryna Zevina.  Guehrer also won the 50m 'fly, in 23.92.

The meet was split between those who still have shiny suit records to chase and have in mind the money that flows for the best on the speediest circuit and those who have already moved on and begun to race in the cut of 2010. As such, the finishing order of things can loargely be taken with a pinch of salt, particularly if a note is not made of every single suit worn by each individual.

Other highlights in Moscow included the efforts of 2008 world cup champion Cameron Van Der Burgh (RSA). A cut above the rest on breaststroke with a 56.36 win over 100m and a 25.58 win in the 50m 0.22sec up on Schoeman. Van Der Burgh's times were the fastest ever seen on the world cup citcuit. His victories marked a couple of several double and triple triumphs and podium placings to single swimmers.

The distance free events saw Lotte Friis (DEN), world 800m champion in Rome, claim the 400m and 800m victories in 4:01. and 8:12. respectively. Among men, top honours went to Nikita Lobintsev (RUS) in 3:38.40 over 400m and Pal Joensen of the Faroes, in 14:32.64 over 1,500m. Joensen is among those heading for the German-organised International "Battle-Training" Camp in Potsdam in January, alongside the likes of Paul Biedermann, world 200m and 400m free champion in Rome.

The men's 50m 'fly went to Roland Schoeman (RSA) in 22.33 ahead of Russian Evgeny Korotshkin, on 22.50, with  the winner's teammate Darian Townsend third. Townsend clocked 1:52.93 to win the 200m medley with ease.

Sergey Fesikov (RUS) took the 100m free in 45.87 ahead of the last 100m world champ before the shiny suits era, Brent Hayden (CAN), on 46.14, with Stefan Nystrand (SWE) third in 46.16. The women's race went to Dane Jeannette Ottesen, in 52.22, with Sara Sjostrom (SWE) on 52.60, ahead of Guehrer, on 52.84.

In the 100m, Felcity Galvez (AUS) fell 0.14sec shy of the world mark of 55.68 (set by teammate Jess Schipper in Hobart in August) to win in 55.82, the fastest seen on the world cup circuit. Therese Alshammar (SWE) was next home in 56.23, while teammate and world 100m champion in Rome, Sara Sjostrom, finished fourth in 57.37 a touch behind Jeannette Ottesen (DEN). Sjostrom is working on multiple skills, and won the 200m free in 1:54.02.

The 100m medley produced another world-cup best, unsurprisingly in these days of swimmers being particularly suited for speed: Sergey Fesikov touched first in 51.45, ahead of Townsend, on 52.09.

The 200m free for men saw Townsend reach the podium again, his third place 1:42.41 a finger-reach behind Alex Sukhorukov (RUS) and Brent Hayden (CAN), on 1:42.13 and 1:42.25 respectively. Townsend's teammate Neil Versfeld claimed the 200m breaststroke win in 2:04.15, ahead of Igor Borysik (UKR), on 2:04.86, with Russian Grigory Falko third in 2:05.49. Peter Marshall (USA) was the only man below 50sec in the 100m back, on 49.49.