SWIMMING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS:FIVE MORE world records fell on day two of the world championships in Rome, with another haul of Irish records, the most striking falling to 20-year-old Ryan Harrison who produced a world-class swim in the 200 metres freestyle heats.

American superstar Michael Phelps was one of the top qualifiers in the 200 free for this evening’s final, but Harrison laid down a mark of his own for future competitions in heat 11 of the morning.

Fina, the world governing body, has allowed the use of new generation, 100 per cent polyurethane suits, which are said to aid buoyancy and forward propulsion, and records are tumbling across the board as a result.

Not to be outdone, the Irish swimmers have been offered a free suit by the various manufacturers present in the Italian capital, and most are making use of the new technology, including Harrison, a psychology student in the University of Tennessee, as he cut an astonishing 1.5 seconds off his record, winning his heat in a world class time of one1 minute 47.94 seconds.

It placed the City of Derry swimmer 22nd overall, just 0.7 of a second short of getting a place in the semi-finals.

“I was visualising that time for two months now. I stuck it up on my locker in college and I put it all together in the heats,” he said.

“One year ago exactly I was a 1.52 swimmer for the 200 free, now I’m down at sub 1.48. I owe everything to Joe Hendy and John Trembly, my coaches at Tennessee. Having Andrew (Bree) and Barry (Murphy) in the US with me as well also helps.”

There was also a junior record for Conor Leaney in an earlier heat of the 200 freestyle, while Dubliner Karl Burdis went sub-55 seconds for the 100 backstroke, his 54.74 seconds another Irish record.

Gráinne Murphy, the 16-year-old from New Ross, cut 7.5 seconds off the women’s 1,500 metres Irish record, her second of the week.

Swim Ireland’s high performance director, Peter Banks, said: “We’ve had really great swims on our second day, in particular outstanding performances came from Ryan Harrison, Karl Burdis, Conor Leaney, Gráinne Murphy and Nuala Murphy. Great work done by the team so far and we hope this momentum continues as we progress through the week.”

In yesterday evening’s finals, Australian Brenton Rikard won the 100 breaststroke gold in 58.58, breaking his world record, while Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom won the 100 butterfly, also in a world record time.

American Rebecca Soni lowered the 100 metres breaststroke mark by 0.24 of a second in the semi-finals and is likely to break that again in tonight’s final, while Russian Anastasia Zueva broke the 100 metres backstroke record.

Ariana Kukors of the US broke her second world record of the meet in winning the 200 metres individual medley gold.

There are just four Irish swimmers in action in today’s heats, with Andrew Bree and Barry Murphy going in the 50 metres breaststroke, while Niamh O’Sullivan and Clare Dawson go in the 200 metres freestyle.

Olympic gold man Peirsol fails to qualify

WORLD AND Olympic champion Aaron Peirsol failed to qualify for the 100 metres backstroke final in Rome yesterday after finishing ninth overall in yesterday evening’s semi-finals.

The American was fourth in the second semi-final to miss out, while Japan’s Junya Koga set a championship record of 52.39 seconds to qualify first for today’s final.

After the morning heats, world record holder Peirsol said another record would be needed to win the final.

“I’m starting to think a world record would win. That would be good. That would probably do it,” Peirsol told reporters.

The three-time world champion will now not have the chance to find out after always looking off the pace in his semi.

The 26-year-old told reporters after his semi-final that he had miscalculated his swim.

“It is what it is,” he said.