RIJEKA – Frenchman Amaury Leveaux broke the men's 50 metres freestyle shortcourse world record, timing 20.48 seconds.

Leveaux's new mark improved on the former record of 22.64 seconds, set by South Africa’s Roland Schoeman on September.

He also improves his European mark of 20.80 set in the morning heats.

World record evolution (Time, Name/Nationality, Place, Date):
20.48 Leveaux Amaury FRA Rijeka 11.12.08
20.64 Schoeman Roland RSA Johannesburg 08.09.08
20.81 Draganja Duje CRO Manchester 11.04.08
20.93 Nystrand Stefan Berlin 18.11.07
20.98 Schoeman Roland RSA Hamburg 12.08.06