MANCHESTER, April 11: American Jessica Hardy kept the world records flowing at the World Short-course Championships with a sparkling victory in the women’s 50 metres breaststroke on Thursday.

Hardy, who won the world long-course title in 2007, clocked 29.58sec to beat the 29.90 set by Australia’s Jade Edmistone in Brisbane in 2004. It took the world record tally to four after three marks tumbled on Wednesday’s opening night.

Kirsty Coventry, who broke the women’s 400 individual medley world record on Wednesday, bagged her second title of the five-day championships with a championship record 57.10sec in the 100 backstroke.

Coventry, third at the 50-metre mark, edged out Ukraine’s Kateryna Zubkova (57.15), with Croatia’s Sanja Jovanovic third.

The US-based Zimbabwean was soon back in the water to win her 100 individual medley semi-final.

Hardy seized control of the 50 breaststroke final from the start and finished more than half a second ahead of her nearest pursuer, Yuliya Efimova of Russia.

Efimova, who won the European 200 breaststroke title last month, clocked 30.22 but to no avail as she was disqualified for a false start.

Silver was shared by Britain’s Kate Haywood and Australia’s Sarah Katsoulis who both touched in 30.35. Edmistone finished fifth, losing the title she won in 2006 and the world record.

Ryan Lochte, a member of Wednesday’s world record breaking American 4x100 freestyle relay squad, claimed his second Manchester gold with a fluent defence of his 400 individual medley title.

Margalis, the 2003 Pan-American champion, took silver in 4:03.74 and Drymonakos, the European silver medallist, bronze in 4:05.11.

Britain’s Rebecca Adlington came close to breaking the women’s 800 freestyle world record, tantalisingly falling off the pace in the last 50 to clock a championship record 8:08.25, 0.25sec outside American Kate Ziegler’s world mark.—Reuters