Bad Clock Wipes Out Swimmer’s Record Time

Swimmer Glen Housman smashed the world record in the 1,500-meter freestyle today, but the Australian’s time will not be ratified because of a timing malfunction.

The official Omega timing equipment at the Australian Commonwealth Games trials failed to register Housman’s finish.

Housman, 18, was hand-timed at 14 minutes, 53.59 seconds, which is 1.17 seconds under the world record set by Vladimir Salnikov of the Soviet Union in 1983.

The manual clocking, which the South Australian Swimming Assn. will recognize as a record, will not be accepted as a record by the international governing body FINA.

Housman, who went into his heat planning to break the Commonwealth record of 15:04.66 held by Steve Holland of Australia, walked out of a press conference with tears in his eyes.

“I would have been satisfied with the Commonwealth record, but I guess I went one better,” Housman said before he was told his record would not stand.

Coach Ian Findlay was upset Housman’s record would not stand.

“How can they take the record off this kid?” Findlay said. “This kid is so talented he’ll do it again and again.”

Officials said later Housman’s time of 7:55.36 at the 800-meter mark would stand as a Commonwealth record.