Pan Pacific Swimming Championships : Wharton Breaks World Record in 400 Medley

David Wharton of Germantown, Pa., born with a 50% hearing deficiency, broke the world record in the 400-meter individual medley Friday night at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.

Wharton won the gold medal with a time of 4:16.12, surpassing the mark of 4:17.41 set by Canada’s Alex Baumann in the 1984 Olympic Games at Los Angeles.

Australia’a Rob Woodhouse earned the silver medal in 4:18.05, while Baumann finished third.

Wharton, 18, said he saw the crowd “going crazy” and heard their cheers and whistles in the final 200 meters.

Wharton praised Coach Richard Shoulberg and the inspiration of Olympic gold medalist Jeff Float--a deaf swimmer who was one of the captains of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and a member of the 200-meter relay team that won the gold medal.

“Jeff has been my biggest inspiration,” Wharton said. “My coach introduced me to him after the 1984 Olympics, and to see what he had achieved with his disability helped me greatly.

“I felt pretty rough during the heat swim, but knowing I went so close to the world record twice at the U.S. Nationals, I thought I would have a good chance this time.”

Earlier in the evening, American world record-holder Matt Biondi won his first gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle, then led the United States to a gold medal in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay.

Biondi, 21, from Moraga, Calif., became the first swimmer to crack the 50-second barrier in Australia in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 49.73 seconds. He remains unbeaten in the event since his first world-record swim in the 1985 U.S. Nationals.

The United States, which won six of eight gold medals Thursday night, won another six golds Friday night.

The other individual American victors were Dara Torres in the women’s 100-meter freestyle and dual world record-holder Janet Evans in the women’s 400-meter individual medley.

The Americans also won the men’s and women’s 800-meter freestyle relays.