Lenton wants 'world record' recognised

SYDNEY, May 17 (Reuters) Australian swimmer Libby Lenton has hired Ian Thorpe's lawyer to help her appeal to the sport's world governing body FINA to recognise her claims to the 100 metres freestyle world record.

The official world record currently stands at 53.30 seconds and was set by Germany's Britta Steffen at last year's European championships in Budapest.

Lenton thought she had broken the record when she posted a time of 52.99 as the lead-off swimmer in a mixed 4x100 freestyle relay between Australia and the United States in Sydney in April.

FINA decided Lenton's time would not count as a record because the meet was not a FINA approved meet, however, the Australia is appealing their decision with the help of Sydney lawyer Tony O'Reilly.

''They can never take the time away from me. I know that I swam that fast, and I know that I can do it again,'' Lenton told the Sunday Telegraph.

''The time was real. Even if somebody on the other side of the world says it wasn't an official world record, it doesn't matter, because everyone who knows me and everyone who counts knows that I did it.'' O'Reilly is also representing Thorpe in the fight to clear his name following a leaked newspaper report that he had showed elevated levels of naturally-occurring hormones in a test before his retirement last year.

Thorpe has been asked to provide an explanation for the elevated hormone levels even though swimming and doping officials confirmed that the five-times Olympic gold medallist did not fail the test and there was no suggestion of any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, the Victorian state government has defended the amount of money it spent on hosting the world championships in March.

Australian media reported on Wednesday that the total cost of the championships is expected to be about A million (US67 million dollar).

The Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio said 219,000 people attended the championships, but only 151,000 bought tickets, some of those at discounted prices.

The competition was heavily criticised by sections of the local media as being dull and too expensive but sports minister James Merlino said the event was a great success and the money well spent.

''Security costs have increased, so it's not staggering and it's within the overall budget figure that I announced back in February,'' he said.

REUTERS SAM HS1016