Odd preparation yields world record for Austria's Rogan

Austrian swimmer Markus Rogan has revealed his secret for breaking world records - going on holiday and training like a basketball player.

Rogan said he smashed the world 200 metres backstroke mark at the world short-course championships on Sunday after a two-week break in Austria with his girlfriend and training with a basketball player.

"The way I train in swimming is touch the wall, feel it and go," he told reporters. "In basketball, you jump up for a rebound, so we did that a lot."

Rogan, double silver medallist at the Athens Olympics, clocked one minute 47.84 seconds to beat the 1:49.05 set by Ryan Lochte, of the US, in Shanghai in 2006.

"I've no scientific proof it's good training for swimming but it seems to work for me," added the 26-year-old, whose girlfriend is a former Miss Austria.