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FINA World Cup 7 - Day 1 Report

Jan 18, 1999

HOBART - Australia's teenage swimming sensation Ian Thorpe mantained his stranglehold on world middle-distance with his 10th win from five meets on the FINA World Cup in Hobart tonight.

Thorpe, 16, again showed all his awesome power to storm past team mate Grant Hackett in the final 50 metres.

Hackett had opened up a body length lead over the first 300 metres, charging through the 200 metres under world record pace at 1:51.13.

With the packed crowd at the Tattersall's Hobart Aquatic Centre urging them on, it was the boy known down under as "Thorpie" who turned on his turbo- charged finish to win his fifth 400m race in five World Cup appearances.

He won in a time of 3:42.19, from Hackett (3:43.40) and Emiliano Brembilla (ITA) third in 3:45.40.

It was again an all-star field and one which attracted the huge crowd to a centre, hosting its first major international swim meet, but a meet which has caught the imagination of the Tasmanian capital - the isle at the southern end of Australia.

Also in the field were Daniel Kowalski (AUS) fourth in 3:47.59; Massi Rosolino (ITA) fifth in 3:48.71; Michael Klim (AUS) sixth in 3:50.54; Kieren Perkins (AUS) seventh in 3:51.18 and Matt Hooper (USA) eighth in 3:51.67.

Thorpe still trails Germany