American swimmer Jessica Hardy breaks world record in 100 breaststroke

American Jessica Hardy sets 100 breast world mark

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. —Jessica Hardy broke the world record in the 100-meter breaststroke by nearly half a second Friday night at the U.S. Open.

The American was timed in 1 minute, 4.45 seconds, lowering the old mark of 1:04.84 set by American Rebecca Soni at last month’s world championships in Rome.

It was Hardy’s second world mark in as many nights.

She set the world record in the 50 breaststroke with a split of 29.95 seconds when she time-trialed the 100 breaststroke on Thursday.

Hardy wore a Jaked suit Friday. It and other record-breaking polyurethane bodysuits will be banned by swimming’s world governing body on Jan. 1.

“Did tonight just happen?” Hardy said on her Twitter feed. “Talk about the weirdest year of my life.”

She’s competing for the first time since serving a one-year ban because of a failed drug test that caused her to drop off the U.S. Olympic team last year.

In May, an arbitration panel found the failed test was caused by a contaminated nutritional supplement.

The World Anti-Doping Agency and FINA, swimming’s world governing body, have appealed to the Court for Arbitration of Sport and asked that Hardy be declared ineligible for the 2012 London Olympics. Hardy hopes CAS will rule by the end of the year.

In other events, Samantha Tucker won the women’s 200 freestyle in 1:58.81; Nick Thoman won the men’s 100 backstroke in 52.51 seconds; and Adam Ritter took the men’s 200 free in 1:47.57.

Two-time Olympian Margaret Hoelzer finished third in the 100 backstroke.