Michael Phelps created swimming history in Melbourne on the final night of the 12th FINA World Championships, becoming only the second swimmer behind Mark Spitz to win seven gold medals at a world championships or Olympics.

Phelps' unparalleled performance came to a climax in the 400-metres individual medley in which he broke a fifth world record in winning the gold in 4:06.22. Fellow American Ryan Lochte provided the early challenge and after a solid backstroke leg found himself briefly in front of Phelps. But Phelps took control  with a brilliant swim in the breaststroke leg, traditionally his weakest of the four strokes, to turn the deficit into a winning lead by the 300-metres mark. Lochte just scraped home for the silver three-and-a-half seconds behind Phelps with fast-finishing Italian Luca Marin taking the bronze.

Phelps was deprived of the chance to reach his goal of eight world records earlier in the morning when the United States, the red-hot favourites, were disqualified in the heats of the men's 4 x 100 medley relay after one of Phelps' biggest rivals, Ian Crocker, jumped off the blocks marginally too early in a changeover.

That may have put a dampener on the final day of competition but should in no way detract from the truly outstanding achievement of the American in these championships. And with just over a year before the Olympics, the indications are there that Phelps is quite capable of matching, or even surpassing, Spitz's medal haul.

While the headlines have deservedly gone to Phelps, what should not be ignored was the superb championships of Australian sprint star Libby Lenton, who finished with five gold medals after victory in the women's 50-metres freestyle. Lenton won the shortest and quickest event on the card in a time of 24.53 seconds, ahead of 50-metres butterfly champion Therese Alshammar of Sweden and Holland's Marleen Veldhuis.

Lenton's five golds in as many races equalled American Tracey Caulkins' 1978 record for most won by a woman in a single world championships .

Everyone, including the man himself, expected Grant Hackett's reign as 1500-metres champ to come to an end but few expected Poland's Mateusz Sawrymowicz to be the man to do it. The young Pole swam a brilliant race, especially in the middle 500 metres, as he took the lead from early pacesetter Yuri Prulikov of Russia. Prulikov made his move in the second-last hundred to be in touch for the final sprint but the Pole proved too good in the final moments to win in a time of 14:45.91. Prulikov took the silver and Great Britain's David Davies the bronze. Hackett, the defending Olympic and world champion, finished seventh in a time of 14:59.59.

The final world record of the meet came in the women's 400-metres individual medley with American teenager Katie Hoff blitzing the field to finish eight seconds clear in 4:32.89. The silver medal went to Yana Martynova of Russia with Australian Stephanie Rice edging out compatriot Jennifer Reilly to take the bronze.
Australia made the most of the absence of the disqualified Americans to win the final gold on offer in the mens 4 x 100 medley relay. Japan took silver and the Russians bronze.

In the night's other finals Jessica Hardy won the gold for the United States in the 50-metres breaststroke, pipping Leisel Jones by just 0.07 of a second, while Gerhard Zandberg ended a disappointing meet for the South Africans by taking the gold in the 50-metres backstroke. He won in 24.98 seconds ahead of German world record holder Thomas Rupprath and Britain's Liam Tancock in third.

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