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Hansen regains upper hand in Montreal

Brendan Hansen of the US swims in the men's 100m breaststroke final on Monday at the world championships at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Canada. Hansen won the gold with a championship record time of 59.37 seconds. PHOTO: AFP

Brendan Hansen regained the upper hand in one of swimming's fiercest rivalries -- and he didn't even need a world record to do it.

The record-breaking on Monday was left to Roland Schoeman and Jessica Hardy -- one to be expected, the other a total shocker.

Michael Phelps seemed to be back on form, posting the best time in the semifinals of the 200m freestyle. But his first individual medal of the world swimming championships will have to wait another day.

The highlight of the night was another showdown between Hansen, who holds world records in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, and Japan's Kosuke Kitajima, who swept Hansen in those events at the Athens Olympics last summer.

Eager for redemption, Hansen got another chance at the world championships, with Kitajima in the very next lane for the 100 final.

Hansen took control in the first 50 and touched first in 59.37 seconds -- just off the record of 59.30 he set at last year's US Olympic trials. Kitajima was second in 59.53.

Roland Schoeman of South Africa celebrates after winning the men's 50m butterfly final on Monday in Montreal, Canada. Schoeman won the gold medal in a world record time of 22.96 seconds. PHOTO: AFP

When Hansen saw his name atop the scoreboard, he splashed the water in delight. France's Hugues Duboscq won bronze.

"Everyone keeps asking me, `What was that extra thing I had tonight?'" Hansen said.

"It was definitely emotion. Not many people get a second chance, so I didn't want to screw it up twice," he said.

Kitajima leaned over the rope, shaking hands and hugging Hansen. Then they swam out of the pool in opposite directions.

Until the next time.

"Hansen seems to be very confident and I assumed he would be very happy to avenge the Athens Olympics. This time I lost, but at the next world championships, I think I could beat him," Kitajima said.

Schoeman captured the 50m butterfly and broke the world record he set just a day earlier in the semifinals. He held off American Ian Crocker in a furious dash from one end of the pool to the other, touching in 22.96.

Crocker claimed the silver in the non-Olympic event, followed by Sergiy Breus of Ukraine.

"Not bad for an African," quipped Schoeman, a three-time medalist in Athens whose one-day-old record was 23.01.

"I'd like to dominate the sprints in the future. I'll give it a shot," he said.

Hardy, an 18-year-old American swimming in her first international event, seems to have quite a future after her stunning performance in the semifinals of the 100 breaststroke.

She got off the block quicker than anyone and never faltered down the stretch, posting a time of 1 minute, 6.20 seconds. That broke the record of 1:06.37 set two years ago by Australia's Leisel Jones at the Barcelona world championships.

When Hardy saw her time, accompanied by the world record graphic twirling in French on the scoreboard, she mouthed, "Oh my God."

"It was definitely a shock, an awesome shock. I feel like there's still room for improvement," Hardy said.

Jones was to get a chance to reclaim the record in yesterday's final. She was the second-fastest qualifier at 1:06.93.

"My goal was to make the finals," the Aussie said.
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