ANGERS – Three new world records were set at the French short-course championships in Angers.

Alain Bernard set a new world record for the men's 100 metres freestyle in a time of 45.69sec. He beat the previous record of 45.83s set by Sweden’s Stefan Nystrand last year in Berlin.

World record evolution (Time, Name/Nationality, Place, Date):
45.79 Bernard Alain FRA Angers 07.12.08
45.83 Nystrand Stefan SWE Berlin 17.11.07
=      Schoeman Roland RSA Belrin 22.01.05
46.25 Crocker Ian USA East Meadow 27.03.04
46.74 Popov Alexander RUS Gelsenkirchen 19.03.04

European record evolution (Time, Name/Nationality, Place, Date):
45.79 Bernard Alain FRA Angers 07.12.08
45.83 Nystrand Stefan SWE Berlin 17.11.07
46.48 Nystrand Stefan SWE Stockholm 13.11.07
46.52 Magnini Filippo ITA Trieste 10.12.05
46.55 Magnini Filippo ITA Trieste 09.12.05

On Saturday, Coralie Balmy broke the women's 200 metres freestyle record, setting a new time of 1:53.18sec. The prevoius record of 1:53.29 was set by Australia's Libby Lenton at a World Cup meet in Sydney on November 2005.

World record evolution (Time, Name/Nationality, Place, Date):
1:53.18 Balmy Coralie FRA Angers 06.12.08
1:53.29 Lenton Lisbeth AUS Sydney 19.11.05
1:54.04 Benko Lindsay USA Moscow 07.04.02
1:54.17 Poll Claudia CRC Goteborg 18.04.97

Balmy also improved the European record of 1:53.48 set by fellow-countrywoman Laure Manaudou in Berlin last year.

European record evolution (Time, Name/Nationality, Place, Date):
1:53.18 Balmy Coralie FRA Angers 06.12.08
1:53.48 Manaudou Laure FRA Berlin 17.11.07
1:54.25 Popchanka Alena FRA Helsinki 10.12.06
1:54.53 Marshall Melanie GBR Berlin 21.01.06
1:54.64 Lillhage Josephin SWE New York 11.02.05

Finally, Amaury Leveaux broke the short course 50 metres butterfly world record, setting a time of 22.29s, 0.21 seconds off the previous mark set by Australia’s Matt Jaukovic in Sydney on October.

World record evolution (Time, Name/Nationality, Place, Date):
22.29 Leveaux Amaury FRA Angers 06.12.08
22.50 Jaukovic Matt AUS Sydney 25.10.08
22.60 Kaio Marcio de Almeida BRA 15.12.07

The former European record of 22.62 was broken twice just the week before by Germany’s Dietrich Johannes.

European record evolution (Time, Name/Nationality, Place, Date):
22.29 Leveaux Amaury FRA Angers 06.12.08
22.62 Dietrich Johannes GER Essen 28.11.08
22.64 Dietrich Johannes GER Essen 28.11.08
22.86 Breus Sergiy UKR Manchester 12.04.08
22.87 Foster Mark GBR Sheffield 17.01.01
23.19 Frolander Lars SWE Athens 19.03.00

Also see:

Johannes Dietrich breaks men's European 50 metres butterfly mark
Nov 29, 2008

Jaukovic breaks 50 butterfly Record
Oct 25, 2008

World records broken in Berlin
Nov 17, 2007

Lenton smashes 200 free short course WR
Nov 19, 2005