Fast Thorpe targets third gold

Ian Thorpe laid down his challenge on Monday for a third gold medal at the world championships by setting the fastest qualifying time for Tuesday's 800 metres freestyle final.

The 18-year-old, who won gold on Sunday with a world record in the 400 metres freestyle and anchored an Australian victory in the 4x100 freestyle relay, eased through his heat in the 800 in seven minutes 52.74 seconds.

Joining him in the final of this new world championship men's event will be fellow Australian Grant Hackett, who on Sunday took the 400 freestyle silver behind Thorpe for the second successive time.

Hackett, the 1,500 freestyle world and Olympic champion, won his heat with equal ease in 7:54.22.

Thorpe set a world record of 7:41.59 at the Australian championships in Hobart in March when Hackett also swam under the old mark set by compatriot Kieren Perkins in 1994.

"It's very difficult to swim every day, especially at a major meet," said Thorpe, who is chasing an unprecedented seven golds in the eight-day swimming programme.

"World records are not a priority. I just want to swim consistently over all my events."

Hackett said: "It was easy. I felt really good, better than before my 400 last night. Both Ian and I are swimming well, so it should be a good race."

Russia's Roman Sludnov, who last month broke the one-minute barrier in the men's 100 metres breaststroke, set a championship record of 1:00.40 in the morning heats, putting his 59.97 world mark potentially under threat for the semifinals in the evening.

"I've come here to win the gold medal and on top of that I want to go quicker than my world record time," Sludnov said.

MOSES QUALIFIES

American Ed Moses, holder of the world record before Sludnov, qualified comfortably for the semifinals. He clocked 1:01.12 to finish second in his heat behind Japan's Kosuke Kitajima (1:00.95).

"It's good to get the first one out of the way. It's definitely not just me and Sludnov. There's a lot of quick guys in the field," Moses said in anticipation of what should be one of the best races of the championships.

Olympic champion Domenico Fioravanti of Italy, who relegated Moses and Sludnov to silver and bronze at last September's Sydney Games, was fourth fastest overall, winning his heat in 1:01.29.

"Morning races are not always good for me. I felt a bit tired but still think I've got a good chance to win," Fioravanti said.

French veteran Franck Esposito, silver medallist at the last world championships in 1998, upstaged world record holder Michael Phelps to lead the semifinal qualifiers in the men's 200 metres butterfly.

Esposito touched a fraction ahead of the 16-year-old American in 1:56.05, with Phelps second fastest overall in 1:56.11 and Olympic champion Tom Malchow third on aggregate, having won his heat in 1:56.13.

"I felt pretty relaxed but I was too relaxed over the first 100, so I'm going to have to swim a smarter race tonight," Phelps said.

Fellow American Malchow said: "It was a good morning swim. It's going to be a good race. I've come here to race more than just Michael. Obviously we want to be one-two but we can't forget about the rest of the world."

American Haley Cope led the way into the semifinals in the inaugural women's 50 metres backstroke in 28.60 from Germany's Antje Buschschulte (28.62).

World record holder Sandra Voelker of Germany won her heat in 28.72. "I just wanted to test the first 25 metres. I was pretty satisfied with the race," she said.