MANCHESTER – Kirsty Coventry maintained the world record rush at the World championships when she broke the women's 200 metres backstroke mark on Friday.

Coventry clocked 2 minutes, 00.91 seconds to win her third gold medal of the championships and beat the previous mark of 2:03.24 set by Japan’s Reiko Nakamura in Tokyo last February. “It’s fantastic anytime a world record can be broken, it’s always exciting,” said Coventry. “But I am tired now, my legs sore.”

Second placed Elizabeth Simmonds of Great Britain set a new European record of 2:02.60. “I can’t believe it. I’m gob-smacked” said Simmonds. “I was running on adrenalin tonight. It’s great to race against someone like Kirsty.”

The previous mark was 2:04.08 who Esther Baron of France set at the 2006 Europeans in Helsinki.

Australian Felicity Galvez broke another world record as she claimed her first ever world title in winning the 50 metres butterfly in 25.32 second. “I never believed I could get a world record, so it’s a bit of a shock, I am just so excited.” she said.

The previous world record holder was Anna Karin Kammerling of Sweden who set a mark of 25.33 at a World cup meet in Göteborg three years ago.

Russian Yury Prilukov created a new European record in the men's 400m freestyle breaststroke, winning with 3 minutes, 37.35 seconds, beating his own mark by 0.46 seconds that he made in winning gold at the European championships in Trieste in 2005.

“This medal was a test. The mark is excellent although I am not very fast, since I am training mostly for the 1500m.” said the 24-year-old Russian champion.

Croatian Duje Draganja set a new men’s 50 metres freestyle world best in winning the race in a record time of 20.81. The former record of 20.93 was set by Sweden’s Stefan Nystrand in Berlin on November 2007.

Hanna Maria Seppala of Finland set a European record in the women’s 100 metres individual medley. She placed second in 59.62 lowering the record of 59.71 set by Martina Moravcova, SVK, at the 2000 Worlds in Athens.

Ryan Lochte of the United States smashed the men's 200m individual medley world record touching in 1:51.56.

The previous record of 1:52.99 was held by Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh who set the mark at last December at the European championships in Debrecen.

Last record of third day tumbled in the women’s 400 metres medley relay.

The American quartet of Margaret Hoelzer, Jessica Hardy, Rachel Komisarz and Kara Denby, clocked a new record time of 3:51.36 to beat the mark of 3:51.84 set by Australia at the 2006 World championships in Shanghai.

Great Britain (Simmonds, Kate Haywood, Jemma Lowe, Francesca Halsall) won bronze and set the new European record for the event in 3:53.02 and betteres the 3:55.78 that Sweden (Therese Alshammar, Emma Igelström, Anna Karin Kammerling, Johanna Sjöberg) set in Moscow at the 2002 world championships.