News Round-Up:

Luxembourg: Markus Diebler (GER) clocked 50.08sec to win the 100m free at the Luxembourg Euro international to finish ahead of comeback trailer Ian Thorpe (AUS), on 50.76 (after 50.84 in heats. Yesterday, Thorpe, 29, clocked 1:51.51 for 4th over 200m. On the 100m, Thorpe said: "I was happy with how I swam this morning rather than how I swam (in the final) tonight. For me it was a much better race this morning, it was a lot easier and I qualified well, so I thought I would drop a little bit more time tonight." Thorpe's comeback aims include Olympic qualification at Adelaide trials in March over 100m and 200m free events, with emphasis on relays, the 200m the more likely line of success as things stand with a nod to the gap between the standard required for the 4x100m and 4x200m quartets Down Under. In other events, Amy Smith (GBR) clocked 54.78 to win the 100m freestyle, her Loughborough teammate Caitlin McClatchey took the 400m free in 4:09.77, Daryna Zevina (UKR) clocked 2:12.69 for victory over 200m backstroke. Yesterday, Laurent Carnol (LUX and Loughborough) clocked 2:09.78 in the 200m breaststroke, Ioannis Drymonakos (GRE) won the 200m butterfly in 1:57.56; the 200m medley went to Raphael Stacchiotti (ITA) in 2:00.22; Smith took the 50m free in 25.34 and McClatchey the 200m in 1:58.73 ahead of Silke Lippok (GER), on 1:58.86; Lisa Fissneider (ITA) took the 200m breaststroke in 2:28.62; and Martina Van Berkel (SUI) won the 200m butterfly in 2:11.88.

Brazil: World champion Spiros Gianniotis, of Greece, won the Santos round of the FINA World Cup 10km marathon series in 2 hours 11:39.51 ahead of Nicola Bolzonello, of Italy, on 2:11:41.44, and Richard Weinberger, of Canada, on 2:11:42.34. Among women, Martina Grimaldi (ITA) won in 2h22m23s94 ahead of Angela Maurer (GER), on 2h22m25s50 and Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA), on 2h22m28s44.