term experiment with hi-tech suits prompted the expected flood of records at the world championships on Sunday with Federica Pellegrini among those setting new marks which might stand for years to come. Despite most versions only being approved last month, polyurethane costumes are poised to be banned from 2010 with governing body FINA planning to return to an era of textile suits and male trunks. The first day of the Rome worlds will enter swimming folklore but for many it will be for all the wrong reasons. Six world records were bettered, two in semifinals where 15-year-old Sarah Sjostrom and American Ariana Kukors were genuinely surprised by their achievements in the 100 meters butterfly and 200 individual medley respectively. Dara Torres, whose US women's 4x100m relay team finished fourth behind gold medalist and world record breaker the Netherlands, said the sport was in turmoil beacuse of the suits. Germany's Britta Steffen also shattered her own world record in the first leg of the relay when she cut through the water like a speedboat in a time of 52.22 seconds. The record books were taking a battering and Italian Pellegrini was happy to oblige despite having a mild fever. She rocketed to gold in the women's 400m freestyle, breaking the four minute barrier to destroy her own world record and leave Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington trailing in her wake. Pellegrini won in 3 minutes 59.15 having swum a record 4:00.41 last month. Britain's Joanne Jackson was second and compatriot Adlington third in Speedo's LZR suit. Michael Phelps, who won a record eight golds at last year's Beijing Olympics, is also contracted to Speedo and he was only third in the first leg of the men's 4x100 relay won by his American team. Ian Thorpe's 2002 world best in the men's 400m freestyle final was thought to be as good as sacred but Germany's Paul Biedermann swam 3 minutes 40.07 to beat the mark by one hundredth of a second and take gold. South Korea's Olympic champion Park Tae-hwan missed out on the final after finishing only 12th overall in the heats. A host of championship records fell in the morning heats under a blistering Rome sun and although the temperature cooled for the evening session, performances continued to soar. Spain's Rafael Munoz qualified first for Monday's 50m butterfly final in a championship record of 22.68 seconds but defending champion Roland Schoeman crashed out in his semi. Cancer survivor Eric Shanteau of the US also set a world best in his 100m breaststroke semifinal.
