Sullivan and Trickett set world records

Eamon Sullivan and Libby Trickett reclaimed world records at the Australian Olympic trials yesterday to lay their claims as the world's premier sprinters.

Sullivan regained the 50 metres freestyle record he lost to Frenchman Alain Bernard last weekend when he stormed down one lap of Sydney's Olympic Pool in 21.41 seconds.

Less than an hour later, Trickett (nee Lenton) reclaimed the 100 freestyle record from Germany's Britta Steffen when she stopped the clock in 52.88 seconds, ahead of 15-year-old Cate Campbell.

Trickett, 23, who previously held the world record in 2004 and 2006, slashed 0.42 seconds off Steffen's mark of 53.30, set at the 2006 Europeans in Budapest.

The Australian thought she had broken the record and the 53-second barrier at last year's Duel in the Pool against the US when she was timed at 52.99. But FINA later ruled that the record would not count because she was racing in a mixed relay against Michael Phelps.

"I cannot say how much I wanted to do that," Trickett said in a poolside interview. "Ever since Duel in the Pool last year... I've just wanted it so badly.

"With all the talk about me dragging off Phelps, well I've gone 0.1 faster without him in the pool."

Sullivan, 22, wiped 0.09 off the record Bernard set last Sunday at the European Championships in Eindhoven.

Sullivan had broken the previous record, set by Russia's Alex Popov in 2000, in Sydney last month and was distraught when Bernard snatched it from him so quickly.

Sullivan came agonisingly close to breaking the Frenchman's 100 record on Wednesday, missing it by just two-hundredths of a second, but made amends in the single-lap sprint.

"I wanted that record really badly and I'm very, very pleased with myself," Sullivan said.

Six world records have been set at the Australian trials this week, matching the total from the European Championships, with two days still to go.

Sullivan's girlfriend Stephanie Rice broke the 200 and 400 IM records while Sophie Edington and Emily Seebohm took turns in breaking the 50 backstroke record.