Record for Sludnov and title for Ervin

Russia's Roman Sludnov cracked his own world record and American sprint freestyler Anthony Ervin added a world crown to his Olympic gold at the world swimming championships on Monday.

Australia hoisted their title tally to four in two days as they and Germany celebrated two wins apiece and 17-year-old Luo Xuejuan put China back at the top of the podium after a barren Olympics in Sydney last year.

Sludnov, who last month became the first man to swim 100 metres breaststroke in under a minute, lowered his world record from the historic 59.97 seconds he posted in Moscow to 59.94 in a semifinal swim, targeting gold in the final on Tuesday.

"I broke the world record in Russia ... and practised to break it again at these world championships," said the 21-year-old student from Omsk, who had described himself as feeling like the first man in space when he burst through the one-minute barrier in Moscow.

Third equal at the turn behind American Ed Moses and Canadian Morgan Knabe, Sludnov accelerated on the return length of the Marine Messe indoor pool and his rivals had no answer to his smooth power.

Ervin, who shared Olympic gold with fellow-American Gary Hall in the 50 metres freestyle in Sydney, became world champion in a tight one-length race, winning in 22.09 from Dutch Olympic bronze medallist Pieter van den Hoogenband (22.16), with South Africa's Roland Schoeman and Japan's Tomohiro Yamanoi sharing third place in 22.18.

"I felt pretty good. I didn't make any mistakes," said Ervin, hoping his win would spur a surge in U.S. fortunes after a rocky first day. "Hopefully the U.S. can keep rolling like we did in Sydney."

Petria Thomas and Matt Welsh made it four titles in two days for Australia after Ian Thorpe's 400 freestyle world record and the men's 4x100 freestyle relay win on Sunday.

GOLDEN FULFILMENT
Thomas finally won a global gold after a clutch of world and Olympic silvers and bronzes, prevailing in a great duel in the women's 200 metres butterfly with 17-year-old European short-course champion Annika Mehlhorn in a championship record time of two minutes 6.73 seconds.

"It's about time. I get sick of seeing number two next to my name," Thomas said after taking over the title from fellow Australian Susan O'Neill. "It's been coming for a long time and I'm glad I've finally got it."

With world and Olympic champion Lenny Krayzelburg away at the Maccabiah Games in Tel Aviv, Olympic silver medallist Welsh seized his chance and charged through in the outside lane of second-slowest qualifier to win the men's 100 metres backstroke in a championship record 54.31.

Orn Arnarson put Iceland on the world championship map for the first time by taking the silver in 54.75.

Germany claimed their first two pool titles, courtesy of 19-year-old former European champion Hannah Stockbauer, who swung clear of American Diana Munz in the second half of the women's 800 metres freestyle, and the women's 4x100 freestyle relay.

The Americans picked up more medals after Ervin's win as Munz took the 800 freestyle silver for the second world championships in succession and Kaitlin Sandeno completed a rare double with bronzes in the same session in the 200 butterfly and 800 freestyle. The U.S. also shared silvers with Britain behind Germany in the women's sprint freestyle relay.

China, who left the Sydney Olympics with no swimming medals after a series of drug scandals had tarnished their reputation in the 1990s, returned to winning ways with an emphatic victory by Luo in the women's 100 metres breaststroke.

Luo dominated a classy field, winning in a championship record 1:07.18 ahead of Olympic silver medallist Leisel Jones of Australia, who was led away from the pool deck in tearful devastation, and world and Olympic 200 breaststroke champion Agnes Kovacs.

Olympic champion Megan Quann and defending world champion Kristy Kowal, the two Americans, could manage only fifth and sixth.

"This is the first time I have won a world competition, so my future aim is to win gold medals in all competitions I take part in," said Luo, who will also race the 50 and 200 breaststroke in Fukuoka.

China won three titles at the 1998 world championships.