MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) -- American teenager Katie Hoff, who trained as child alongside Michael Phelps, emerged from the shadows of her famous team mate to break her first world record on Sunday.
The 17-year-old belied her slight frame to storm home over the concluding freestyle leg and complete the 400 meters individual medley in four minutes 32.89 seconds.
She slashed seven-tenths of a second off the previous mark of 4:33.59 set by Ukraine's Yana Klochkova at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Hoff and left her rivals for dead, finishing more than seven seconds ahead of Russian silver medalist Jana Martynova and Australia's Stephanie Rice.
"I was feeling the most confident I've felt, it's traditionally been a tough event for me," Hoff told reporters.
"I felt good all the way through and turned around and saw a best time and world record so I couldn't be happier."
Hoff's victory underlined her status as the world's most versatile swimmer. She also won the 200 medley final earlier in the week to become the first woman to complete the medley double at successive world championships.
Hoff has been earmarked for greatness since she first joined the North Baltimore Aquatics Club but her best is yet to come.
She was the youngest member of the U.S. team at the 2004 Athens Olympics but was overcome by nerves and failed to win a medal, however she says that will not be a problem when she gets to Beijing next year.
"I think each time I swim I'm getting more experience," she said.
"When I was younger I was taking it out way too fast and now I just really control the first 200. I can build on my techniques like that as we go to Beijing."
Happy Hardy
Jessica Hardy won the women's 50 breaststroke as the U.S. scooped up three of the seven golds on offer to finish at the top of medals table with 21 golds, including 20 in the pool.
Laure Manaudou of France was named as the outstanding female swimmer after winning the 200 and 400 freestyle, finishing second in 800 freestyle and 100 backstroke and a third in the 4x200 freestyle relay.
Australia's Libby Lenton signed off by winning the 50 freestyle final in a slick 24.53 to defend the title she won in Montreal two years ago and join American Tracey Caulkins (1978) as the only women to win five gold medals in a single world championship.
Therese Alshammar of Sweden was second in 24.62 after winning the 50 butterfly and Marleen Veldhuis of the Netherlands was third in 24.70 but it was Lenton who once again got her hand on the wall first.
"If someone had told me I would have won five gold medals I would have pretty much have laughed in their face," said the 22-year-old, who is getting married next week.
Lenton's performances in Melbourne ended years of frustration for the Queenslander and provided the perfect platform for next year's Beijing Olympics.
She won two relay golds at the 2004 Athens games but failed to win either of her individual events.
Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The 17-year-old belied her slight frame to storm home over the concluding freestyle leg and complete the 400 meters individual medley in four minutes 32.89 seconds.
She slashed seven-tenths of a second off the previous mark of 4:33.59 set by Ukraine's Yana Klochkova at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Hoff and left her rivals for dead, finishing more than seven seconds ahead of Russian silver medalist Jana Martynova and Australia's Stephanie Rice.
"I was feeling the most confident I've felt, it's traditionally been a tough event for me," Hoff told reporters.
"I felt good all the way through and turned around and saw a best time and world record so I couldn't be happier."
Hoff's victory underlined her status as the world's most versatile swimmer. She also won the 200 medley final earlier in the week to become the first woman to complete the medley double at successive world championships.
Hoff has been earmarked for greatness since she first joined the North Baltimore Aquatics Club but her best is yet to come.
She was the youngest member of the U.S. team at the 2004 Athens Olympics but was overcome by nerves and failed to win a medal, however she says that will not be a problem when she gets to Beijing next year.
"I think each time I swim I'm getting more experience," she said.
"When I was younger I was taking it out way too fast and now I just really control the first 200. I can build on my techniques like that as we go to Beijing."
Happy Hardy
Jessica Hardy won the women's 50 breaststroke as the U.S. scooped up three of the seven golds on offer to finish at the top of medals table with 21 golds, including 20 in the pool.
Laure Manaudou of France was named as the outstanding female swimmer after winning the 200 and 400 freestyle, finishing second in 800 freestyle and 100 backstroke and a third in the 4x200 freestyle relay.
Australia's Libby Lenton signed off by winning the 50 freestyle final in a slick 24.53 to defend the title she won in Montreal two years ago and join American Tracey Caulkins (1978) as the only women to win five gold medals in a single world championship.
Therese Alshammar of Sweden was second in 24.62 after winning the 50 butterfly and Marleen Veldhuis of the Netherlands was third in 24.70 but it was Lenton who once again got her hand on the wall first.
"If someone had told me I would have won five gold medals I would have pretty much have laughed in their face," said the 22-year-old, who is getting married next week.
Lenton's performances in Melbourne ended years of frustration for the Queenslander and provided the perfect platform for next year's Beijing Olympics.
She won two relay golds at the 2004 Athens games but failed to win either of her individual events.
Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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