Hardy breaks record in 50m breaststroke

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. - Jessica Hardy (Long Beach, Calif.) broke the world record in the 50m breaststroke when she time-trialed the 100m breast on the third day of competition at the 2009 U.S. Open National Championships. Hardy split a time of 29.95 to swim under the previous world record of 30.09.

Olympian Elaine Breeden (Lexington, Ky.), who set the U.S. Open meet record during prelims in the event, took home her second gold medal in three days when she swam the top time of 58.31 in the women's 100m butterfly. Alisa Finn was the runner-up in 58.96, while Kelley Hug snuck into the top three from an outside lane with a time of 59.49.

Amber McDermott (Mill Creek, Wash.) collected her second gold medal of the meet when she posted the top time of 4:08.18 in the women's 400m free. Ashely Steenvoorden (East Brunswick, N.J.) touched in second with a time of 4:10.14. Leone Vorster of South Africa was third in 4:10.93.

After a faulty start, Chad La Tourette (Mission Viejo, Calif.) battled France's Sebastien Rouault stroke-for-stroke in the men's 400m free. Coming down to the final stroke, it was La Tourette who edged Rouault for the gold by just .13 seconds when he clocked in at 3:48.26. Rouault took the silver in 3:48.39. Michael Klueh (Evansville, Ind.) lit up the scoreboard with the third-fastest time of 3:49.35.

In the men's 100m butterfly, it was Luca Mazzurana who emerged as the winner with a time of 52.78. Miles Joye (Montgomery, Ala.) squeezed out a second-place finish, edging Jimmy Feigen (San Antonio, Texas) by .06 seconds with a time of 52.98. Feigen took the bronze in 53.04.