Swimming: Foster halfway to double target

MARK FOSTER recaptured the 50m freestyle title at the World Short Course Championships here yesterday. The 28-year-old, who swims for the University of Bath, last won the event at the inaugural championships in Palma in 1991. Foster moved on the blocks but once into his stroke was powering ahead. "I'm happy," he said. "I came here to win the double and break a record. I've still got the 50m butterfly [tomorrow]."

Foster's time of 21.81 seconds was half a second outside the world record he established in Sheffield last December on his way to winning the European short course title.

Earlier, James Hickman failed to live up to his prediction that he would earn a gold medal for Britain and had to settle for third place in the 100m butterfly final. The race was won by the defending champion, Lars Frolander of Sweden, in a new championship record of 51.45sec. Australian Michael Klim was second in 51.56sec and Hickman a disappointing third in 51.60. Hickman said: "I haven't felt myself today. I had a bad night thinking about the race. I felt I could swim faster."

Australia's Grant Hackett smashed the 400m freestyle record, shaving four seconds off the old mark to win gold in 3:35.01, while earlier Japan's Masami Tanaka broke the world record in the women's 200m breastroke with a time of 2:20.22 to claim her second gold.

The Netherlands team won the final of the men's 4x200m freestyle relay with a time of 7:04.48. Britain were second with 7:07.20 and Canada finished third in 7:08.02. The favourites, Australia, were disqualified in a morning heat for swimming in the incorrect order.