Rome - South Korean defending champion Park Taehwan was upset in the men's 400 metres freestyle on Sunday, as championship records tumbled in the heats on the first day of competition in the swimming section of the world championships in Rome. In the biggest upset of the morning, Park, who also took the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics last year, finished in a time of 3 minutes 46.04 seconds, placing him 12th - far off the pace of the eight-fastest swimmers who made the final.
Park said he hoped that he could find something positive from his swim. "This defeat could be good for my future."
He admitted that he was disappointed. "I expected to swim much faster. I am surprised for failing to qualify for the final. I wanted to go faster in the beginning, but I didn't manage to. I was too tired.
"I didn't have enough rest after the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. I have been working very hard since 2005 and never had time to rest. Besides, I am feeling under big pressure."
The fastest time in the heats was registered by Paul Biedermann, who swam a time of 3:43.01, setting a new European record.
The German, who is not considered as one of the favourites for the event, said that he believed he could go even faster. "I have never before swum such an easy 400m.
"I certainly did not give it my all and can swim faster on the final 100m. I am in good form and can even start thinking about winning a medal."
The first championship record of the meet belonged to 15-year-old Swedish sensation Sarah Sjostrom in the ninth heat of the first event, when she swam a 56.76 in the women's 100m butterfly.
Her time beat the previous record held by Libby Trickett set in Melbourne two years ago by .49 seconds.
In the women's 200m individual medley Hungarian Katinka Hosszu broke the championship record held by American Katie Hoff, when she won her heat in a time of 2:09.12, taking just over a second off the previous best mark of 2:10.13.
Hosszu's record was broken shortly afterwards by American Ariana Kukors, who managed a 2:08.53, just eight hundredths off Stephanie Rice's world record.
South African men's 50m butterfly swimmer Roeland Schoeman bettered his own championship record with a time of 22.90, which was equalled by Spain's Rafael Munoz in the very next heat.
In the women's 400m freestyle, local hero Federica Pellegrini seemed well on course for the first world record of the meet, but eased off in the final 100m and finished in a new championship record time of 4:01.96, beating the old mark of 4:02.61 set by France's Laure Manaudou.
Briton's Rebecca Adlington who won the gold medal in the event in Beijing, only just squeezed into the final in eighth place with a time of 4:05.70.
Brenton Rickard impressed in the men's 100m breaststroke, when he broke Brendan Hansen's championship record of 59.37 by .39 seconds, finishing with a time of 58.98s.
The Australian become only the third swimmer in history to swim under 59s.
The Australian women also broke their own championship record in the women's 4x100m freestyle, which had previously stood at 3:35.48. They won their heat in a time of 3:35.26.
Germany managed to better that time though in the next heat when they won in a time of 3:34.74.
The Australian men's 4x100m freestyle team broke the championship record with a time of 3:12.58, beating the previous best-mark held by the Americans with a time of 3:12.72.
Again the record held just one heat as the French team, who are hoping to avenge their defeat against the US team at the Beijing Olympics, swam a 3:11.38.
Brazil managed to better that time in the final heat when they swam a 3:11.26
The final of the men's and women's 400m freestyle, as well as the men's and women's 4x100m freestyle relay will be held later Sunday at the championships, which are being held in Rome from July 17 to August 2.
