3 Aug 2009

United States break world record to win 4x100 medley

6:23 am on 3 August 2009

Another four world records have fallen at the world swimminng championships in Rome taking the total to 43.

The United States and Michael Phelps smashed their own record to win the men's 4x100 metres medley relay final in 3 minutes 27.28 to finish ahead of Germany with Australia third.

Germany's Britta Steffen completed the 50-100m doubleto win the splash and dash in 23.73s.

Russia's Yuliya Efimova won the women's 50 metres breaststroke in 0.09 seconds.

And Britain's Liam Tancock broke the record he set in the semi-finals to take gold in the men's 50 metres backstroke.

A deluge of world records have been broken in Rome thanks to performance-enhancing polyurethane suits, which will be banned from January in order to restore swimming's battered image.