Make it 28: With six more records, Rome worlds pass Beijing as fastest meet ever

Six more worlds records knock off Beijing

ROME — Down goes Beijing.

Six more world records on the fifth night of the world swimming championship pushed the total to 28, sending Rome right on past the Beijing Olympics that were thought to be the limits of speed in the pool.

Jess Schipper of Australia eclipsed the Olympic total with her win in the 200-meter breaststroke, the 26th world record at the Foro Italico. Fellow Aussie Christian Sprenger posted the 27th record in the semifinals of the 200 breaststroke, then China’s Zhao Jing won the women’s 50 backstroke, a non-Olympic event, in 27.06 seconds.

Zhao broke the record set a day earlier by Russia’s Anastasia Zueva (27.38). The former record holder finished fourth in the final and failed to win a medal.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

ROME (AP) — Down goes Beijing.

Jess Schipper of Australia has set the 26th world record of the world swimming championships, surpassing the total from last summer’s Olympics. Countryman Christian Sprenger quickly pushed the mark higher with No. 27.

Schipper rallied on the final lap Thursday to win the 200-meter breaststroke in 2 minutes, 3.41 seconds. She broke the mark of 2:04.14 that American Mary Descenza set a day earlier in the preliminaries. Descenza not only lost her record, she didn’t even get a medal by finishing fourth.

Schipper had barely climbed from the water when Sprenger knocked off another record in the semifinals of the 200 breaststroke. The Aussie’s time of 2:07.31 beat Japanese star Kosuke Kitijima’s mark of 2:07.51, set in 2008.