It seems all it takes to break a world record in the pool these days is diving in with one of those high-tech swimsuits that are revolutionizing the sport. Eighteen world records were set over the course of five days at the short-course world championships, and 17 of them were established by swimmers wearing Speedo's LZR Racer suit. Only three world records were set at the last short-course worlds in Shanghai two years ago. “It has become somewhat the norm,” US head coach Mark Schubert said of the record onslaught. “But it never ceases to be so exciting whenever a world record is broken.” On Sunday, six world records were set in 12 finals. The LZR full-body suit has also been worn for 18 of 19 long-course world marks set since it was introduced in February. Critics of the Speedo suit – with Arena and the Italian team leading assault – cite illegal levels of buoyancy and call it “technological doping” since it combines a polyurethane layer with a layer of normal fabric. But FINA has declared twice in the past week that there are no problems with the space-age suit, which was designed with the help of the US space agency NASA. Ryan Lochte and Kirsty Coventry led the record spree, each claiming three individual world marks and Lochte adding another in the US 4x100 freestyle relay. Lochte broke the 200m individual medley world record and twice lowered the time for the non-Olympic 100m individual medley at a meet in which he swam a multitude of events. He bagged gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m medley and 4x100m freestyle relay and silver in the 200m backstroke and 4x100m medley relay. “Breaking records is a big confidence boost, especially at the point where I'm at in my training right now,” Lochte, world long-course 200m backstroke champion and world silver medalist behind Phelps in the 200m and 400m individual medley, said. Coventry, the Olympic 200m backstroke champion, was similarly prolific. She claimed gold in the 100m and 200m backstroke and 200m and 400m individual medley and bronze in the 100m medley and set world records in the 200m and 400m medley and 200m backstroke. “I was really always surprised (by my performances). I've not swum short-course meters in four years,” the Texas-based Zimbabwean told reporters. Marleen Veldhuis also excelled in Manchester, winning four golds in the 50m and 100m freestyle and Dutch 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays and breaking world records in the 50m and the two relays. Croatia's Olympic silver medalist Duje Draganja boosted his Beijing credentials with a 50m freestyle world record and double Olympic silver medalist Markus Rogan of Austria halted Lochte's winning run when he snatched the American's 200m backstroke world record and title in another superb swim. __
