The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Walters claims American record in 100m freestyle at FINA World Championships
07.30.2009 | Men's Swimming and Diving
July 30, 2009
ROME -- University of Texas rising senior Dave Walters placed fifth in the 100-meter freestyle and took down Michael Phelps' American record in the event Thursday on day five of the 2009 FINA World Championships.
Walters (Yorktown, Va.) stood in seventh after finishing the initial 50 meters in 22.78 seconds, but he finished his back half in a meet-leading 24.55 seconds to take fifth overall in 47.33. Brazil's Cesar Cielo won the gold in a world-record mark of 46.91, and France's Alain Bernard took the silver in 47.21. France's Fred Bousquet won the bronze in 47.25, while Canada's Brent Hayden took fourth in 47.27.
Walters eclipsed the American record 47.51 set by Michael Phelps on the opening leg of the 400-meter freestyle relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It is the second individual American record previously held by Phelps to be eclipsed by Walters. The Longhorn topped Phelps' American mark in the 200-yard freestyle last fall at the Texas Invitational in Austin.
Walters now owns or co-owns five American records. He joined his Texas teammates in resetting the American marks in the 200-, 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays at the 2009 NCAA Championships.
Texas-Ex Aaron Peirsol advanced to Friday's 200-meter backstroke finals by qualifying first in Thursday's semifinals in 1:54.06. Eric Shanteau of Longhorn Aquatics won the bronze in the 200m individual medley and qualified second for Friday's 200m breaststroke finals.
Australia's Christian Sprenger eclipsed Kosuke Kitajima's 200m breaststroke world record in the first semifinal heat, and Shanteau also eclipsed Kitajima's mark of 2:07.51 while winning the second heat in 2:07.42. Sprenger is the new world record holder at 2:07.31.