Swimming: Bousquet sets new 50m freestyle world record
Posted: 27 April 2009 0336 hrs

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MONTPELLIER, France : France's Frederick Bousquet set a new world 50-metre freestyle record on Sunday, setting a time of 20.94 seconds and becoming the first man to break the 21-second barrier.

Bousquet, a silver medallist at the Beijing Olympics in the 4x100m relay, smashed the previous record of 21.28 seconds set by Australia's Eamon Sullivan in March 2008 in Sydney.

The 28-year-old, who held the short course world record over the same distance in 2004, becomes the second French swimmer to set a new world record at the ongoing national championships here.

On Thursday, Alain Bernard, second in the 50 metres on Sunday in 21.23 seconds, set a new 100-metre freestyle record of 46.94 seconds.

"I had thought about this time all season," said the Marseille native who splits his time between France and his training base in the United States.

"When I touched the wall, I thought about all the work I have done over the years and I was already thinking about Rome (the venue for this year's world championships)." - AFP/de