U.S. Swim Trials : Biondi Sets Another World Record and Scores a Sweep

Matt Biondi set his second world record in two days and completed his unprecedented sweep of the three freestyle sprints at the U.S. Swimming World Championship Trials Thursday night.

Biondi had a time of 22.33 in the 50-meter freestyle, beating Tom Jager’s year-old world record of 22.40. Earlier in the meet, Biondi set a world record in the 100-meter freestyle.

The University of California senior from Moraga, Calif., also won the 200-meter freestyle. He is the first person to win all three freestyle sprint events in a U.S. Swimming national meet.

Jager, a UCLA graduate, not only lost his record, he also lost the race, coming in second to Biondi with a time of 22.57.

The top two finishers in each event earn spots on the U.S. team at the World Championship meet this summer. The best of the rest will make up the U.S. squad for the Goodwill Games.

Thursday’s other winners were Michelle Griglione of Alexandria, Va., in the women’s 200-meter individual medley; Pablo Morales of Santa Clara, Calif., in the men’s 200-meter butterfly; Tami Bruce of San Diego in the women’s 800-meter freestyle and Dan Veatch of Rockville, Md., in the 100-meter backstroke.

Griglione, Morales and Veatch have won two events each in the first five days of the six-day meet.

Griglione swam a 2:15.71 to beat second-place finisher Susan Rapp of Eden Prarie, Minn., by 2.5 seconds. Earlier in the week, Griglione took the 400 individual medley title.

Morales couldn’t quite match his performance of Monday night, when he set a world record in the 100-meter butterfly. But he did set a meet record of 1:58.42. Chris Rives of Houston was second at 1:58.72.

Bruce battled Debbie Babashoff of Mission Viejo for much of the long freestyle race before pulling away in the final two laps to touch in 8:30.88. Babashoff, who won the 400 freestyle Tuesday night, finished second in 8:34.54.

Veatch, a Princeton student who also won the 200 backstroke, had a time of 56.74 Thursday in the 100 backstroke. Mark Rhodenbaugh of Cincinnati was second in 56.93.