Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) - Australian Mollie O’Callaghan clocked a short course world record of 1min 49.77sec to win the 200m freestyle at the swimming World Cup stop in Westmont, Illinois, on Saturday.
O’Callaghan became the first woman to break 1min 50sec in the event, erasing the world record of 1:50.31 set by Hong Kong’s Sioban Haughey at the 2021 short course world championships in Abu Dhabi.
O’Callaghan’s sizzling performance comes a week after she lowered her personal best in the event with a victory in the Carmel, Indiana, World Cup stop with a win in 1:50.77.
She led an Aussie one-two with Lani Pallister second in 1:52.06.
American Regan Smith matched her 100m backstroke short course world record with a dominant victory in 54.02sec.
Australian Kaylee McKeown was second in 55.04.
Smith’s time equalled the world record she set at the short course world championships in Budapest last December on the leadoff leg of the 400m medley relay.