Perfect 10 world records for swimmers in Berlin

The world’s leading swimmers hit form on Thursday (16 April), breaking 10 world records on the opening day of the Internationale Deutsche Meisterschaft (IDM) in Berlin, Germany.

Around 570 athletes from 40 countries are at the Berlin Europa Sports Park as part of their preparations for July’s 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain.

Iceland’s Jon Margeir Sverisson (1:56.94) was pushed to a new S14 world record in the men’s 200m freestyle by former holder and reigning world and Paralympic champion, Australian Daniel Fox (1:57.07). Sverisson showed great composure after the first turn, overtaking Fox to seal gold and push him into second.

The USA’s 19-time Worlds medallist Jessica Long annihilated her own world record by 32 seconds in the women’s 800m freestyle S8. Whilst the event is not on the programme for Glasgow 2015 or Rio 2016, Long demonstrated her improving endurance with a 9:45.08 to take gold.

In the same event, Great Britain’s Chloe Davis was also in good form, taking the S14 world mark well under ten minutes for the first time with a 9:39.98 to finish with bronze.

A series of other world records were broken in events not on the Paralympic or Worlds programme, including two for Australian athletes.

SM13 swimmer Sean Russo touched in at 4:54.71 to claim gold in the men’s 400m individual medley, smashing a 25-year-old record set by Canada’s Michael Edgson in 1990.

Compatriot Blake Cochrane (2:47.07) brought down the men’s 200m breaststroke SB7 time, only set in February by the Netherland’s Simon Boer.

Italy’s European and world champion Federico Morlacchi (58.91) tore down a four-year-old S9 mark in the men’s 100m butterfly to take gold, set by Hungarian Tamas Sors in the same venue in 2011.

Great Britain’s Sascha Kindred (1:10.26), in his second decade at the top of the sport, showed no signs of slowing down by setting a new S6 world record in the men’s 100m butterfly.

Teammate Eleanor Robinson was in good form in the women’s event, also with a new S6 time of 1:26.30.

The Netherland’s multiple Worlds and European medallists Lisette Teunissen (1:47.91) demonstrated why she is still one to look out for in the women’s S3 events, setting a new mark in the 100m backstroke to take gold.

Hungarian S5 swimmer Reka Kezdi (1:44.55) went out hard in the women’s 100m butterfly heats, registering a new best for her classification.

Action continues in Berlin until Sunday (19 April). Live results and coverage are available at the event website.

Glasgow 2015 runs from 13-19 July and is set to feature around 650 swimmers from 50 countries. Tickets and media accreditation are available now.

All records and subject to ratification by IPC Swimming.