Thorpe sets new world mark

Ian Thorpe set a world record of seven minutes 41.59 seconds in the men's 800 metres freestyle at the Australian swimming championships on Monday.

Thorpe shattered the previous world record of 7:46.00 set by fellow Australian Kieren Perkins at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, with a devastating late burst.

The 18-year-old Thorpe, a triple gold medallist at last year's Sydney Olympics, was contesting the 800 metres for the first time in his career and had to race the final less than 20 minutes after swimming in a 200 metres semifinal.

"I knew the 200 was going to take a bit out of me so I tried to take it out as comfortably as I could," Thorpe said.

"I really prefer being a sprinter so I was just trying to find out where I'm at."

Perkins established the previous record as a split time on his way to setting the current 1,500 metres world record but with the 800 now a separate event at this year's world championships, his time was not expected to last much longer.

Grant Hackett, the reigning 1,500 Olympic and world champion, also went under Perkins's old mark on Monday but had to settle for second behind Thorpe in 7:44.57.

"What can I say? I've just broken a world record and finished second...He's just an amazing athlete," Hackett said of Thorpe.

Hackett, who also finished second to Thorpe in Saturday's 400 freestyle final, led for the first 650 metres of the race but could not stick with Thorpe once the Sydney teenager pressed the accelerator over the last three laps.

Incredibly, Thorpe was still almost two seconds outside Perkins's pace at the 650-metre mark but managed to chop almost four and a half seconds off the record by the end.

Thorpe also holds the 400 freestyle world record, which he set in winning gold at the Olympics, and also held the 200 freestyle record until Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband took it off him in Sydney.

Thorpe's best 200 freestyle time of 1:45.37 is just 0.02 seconds outside the Dutchman's record and the Australian is hoping to get it back in Tuesday's 200 final.

The Australian championships are doubling as the country's trials for the July 16-29 world championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Thorpe is attempting to qualify for the 100, 200, 400 and 800 individual events, plus the three relays.