As 2008 marches towards its close, the bull run on the world record books continues apace in almost monotonous procession. The latest marks to fall went to Peter Marshall (USA), with a 49.94 in the 100m backstroke and Cameron Van der Burgh (RSA), with the first sub-26sec swim in the 50m breaststroke, a 25.94.
In a year that has witnessed technology tear up tradition and make swimming look like a sport in its infancy, 84 world marks - 54 long and 30 short - have now been broken since February. Marshall's time took down fellow American Ryan Lochte mark of 49.9, while the 50 breaststroke marked a 0.14sec improvement on the mark Van der Burgh had established in Moscow last Saturday.
The swim community recognises that world records are never easy and rightfully celebrates achievements such as those that delighted the Stockholm crowd today but beyond the pool, the flood of global standards in the water is being recorded in two negative ways, regardless of how swimming sees itself: the gloss of a world record is dulled by the sheer numbers of standards falling (reporting of swimming in that way by the wider sports media began in earnest back in Beijing); and swimming is now a tech-driven sport, its nature changed forever. A shame to have the sport viewed in that way, particularly for the swimmers but it will be truly hard for the sport to sustain the constant encore.
A touch behind Marshall was Italy-based Randall Bal (USA), in 50.30, with third going to 50m world record holder Robert Hurley (AUS) in 51.01. Van der Burgh was followed home by Vladimir Polyakov (KAZ), in 26.72, and Christian Sprenger (AUS) in 26.86.
The highlights elsewhere: Stefan Nystrand (SWE) headed out in world record pace at half-way in the 100m free but a 46.03 by the end left him 0.2sec shy of his own global standard. That effort was easily enough to keep at bay Lyndon Ferns (RSA), on 47.02, and Alain Bernard (FRA), on 47.04; the 800m freestyle went to Lotte Friis (DEN) in 8:14.99; Sarah Katsoulis clocked 1:04.84 in the 100m breaststroke to enter the all-time top five; Tao Li triumphed in the 100m 'fly in 56.87; most winning man of the series Oussama Mellouli (TUN) claimed the 400m freestyle in 3:38.42 ahead of Paul Biedermann (GER), on 3:42.06, and Mads Glaesner (DEN), on 3:42.79; leader on the women's board Marieke Guehrer (AUS) upset the hosts with a 24.25 victory over Therese Alshammar, on 24.32, in the 50m freestyle; and Melissa Ingram (NZL) clocked 2:04.88 in the 200m backstroke.
