Benko cracks four-minute barrier in World Cup

Erik Kirschbaum, Reuters, Berlin, Germany

Lindsay Benko of the United States became the first woman to crack the four-minute barrier for the 400 meters freestyle, breaking a six-year-old world record at a World Cup short course race on Sunday.

Benko, a double world short course champion who also holds the world record over 200 meters, clocked three minutes 59.53 seconds in the final of seven World Cup meets this season.

She beat the mark of 4:00.03 set by Claudia Poll of Costa Rica in 1997 in Gothenburg and was rewarded with $20,000 car.

"It's fantastic to be the first woman under the four-minute mark," Benko said after a frenzied sell-out crowd of 2,500 cheered her to a sensational final 100 meters.

"I have really worked long and hard for this," said Benko, 26, from Los Angeles. "I've narrowly missed it often, but I knew that I was in great shape coming in here. The crowd was great and cheered me home to that magical record."

Germany's Thomas Rupprath, who set a world record in the 100 meters individual medley on Saturday, won the $50,000 first prize as top performer in the seven World Cup meets.

He quipped: "My wife's birthday is coming up in two weeks and I won't have to worry about having enough money to buy her something nice this year."

Britain's Alison Sheppard topped the women's overall standings, collecting the $50,000 top prize. On Saturday, she won the 50 meters freestyle in 24.06.

The World Cup began in Rio de Janeiro in November and had meets in New York, Shanghai, Melbourne, Paris, Stockholm and Berlin.

In the main event on Sunday, Australia's Ian Thorpe and arch rival Pieter van den Hoogenband dueled in the 200 freestyle, with Thorpe beating his Dutch challenger in 1:41.69, not far from the world record of 1:41.10 he set here in 2000.

The top duo bolted ahead of the field and matched strokes on a record pace through the first 50 meters. They remained together through the next 100 meters before Thorpe surged ahead in the final lap.

Even though he came second, Olympic champion van den Hoogenband set a European record with his time of 1:42.45 in the Berlin pool, famous for its fast times.

The Dutchman, spurred by the rivalry with Thorpe, said: "I really need him in the race to get the best results out of me. It was a very exciting race."

Thorpe, who won three Olympic gold medals and three world championships in the last three years, is using the World Cup races to prepare for July's world championships.

"I'm not going to make any predictions for the worlds in Barcelona," said Thorpe, who took fourth in the 100 meters on Saturday behind van den Hoogenband, a disappointed second behind Argentina's Jose Meolans.

The Australian said: "I'll be happy to win one gold medal. I think the media makes too much of the rivalry with Pieter. We are good friends out of the pool."

In another key race, Britain's Mark Foster won the 50 meters freestyle in 21.28, just outside his world record of 21.13 set two years ago in Paris.

In the 200 meters women's butterfly, Yu Yang of China won in 2:04.90, not far from American Susan O'Neill's record of 2:04.16.