Stunned Pellegrini breaks van Almsick record

MELBOURNE, Mar 27 (Reuters) Federica Pellegrini admitted she was as stunned as anyone as she broke Franziska van Almsick's world record for the 200m freestyle in the world championship semi-finals today.

The 18-year-old surged home in one minute 56.47 seconds to wipe 0.17 seconds off the previous record of 1:56.64 set by the German at the 2002 European championships in Berlin.

''Finally it has happened, I really can't believe it. I haven't begun to understand it,'' she told reporters.

''I was feeling well, I improved by three seconds in the 400m freestyle but I would have never thought this,'' said Pellegrini, who became Italy's youngest ever individual Olympic medallist when she claimed silver in the event at Athens in 2004.

On a night when American swimmers Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin and Aaron Peirsol all updated the record books, Pellegrini said she was stunned to have added a fourth new entry.

''Among all those American world records tonight there is finally an Italian one.

''The two years after Athens haven't been the best time for me. After Athens I believed I could do it, but now it's finally a reality.'' Germany's Annika Lurz finished second fastest with 1:56.67, with Poland's Olympic 200m butterfly champion Otylia Jedrzejczak third on the qualifying sheets.

French hope Laure Manaudou saw her hopes of eight golds shattered with defeat to Coughlin in the 100 backstroke final and finished last in the 1500m final behind American Kate Ziegler before she entered the pool for a third time in the evening to finish fifth fastest behind Pellegrini.

REUTERS SAM RK2010