Kirsty Coventry Breaks World Record, Katie Hoff Lowers American Record 08 MoGP

Swimmers lit up the pool Saturday morning at The 2008 Missouri Grand Prix as Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry broke a world record in the 200m backstroke and U.S. National Teamer Katie Hoff swam to an American record in the 400m freestyle. Coventry's time broke the second-oldest world record in the books in the 200m back in a time of 2:06.39, while Hoff erased the longest-standing American record in the 400m freestyle with a time of 4:02.20. Both swimmers wore the new Speedo LZR RACER suit during their record-breaking swims.

World champion Margaret Hoelzer (Huntsville, Ala.) took home silver in the 200m back in a time of 2:10.76. National Teamer Mary Descenza (Naperville, Ill.) turned in a time of 2:12.40 to secure third place.

Kate Ziegler (Great Falls, Va.) finished behind Hoff in the 400m free to win silver with a time of 4:08.69. Jessica Rodriquez (Aurora, Colo.) finished third in 4:10.66.

Hoff scored her second gold medal of the morning in the 100m free, touching in at 54.28 to edge the American-record holder Natalie Coughlin (Vallejo, Calif.). Olympian Kara Lynn Joyce (Ann Arbor, Mich.) came in at 54.34 for silver, and Coughlin clocked a time of 54.36 for bronze.

Brazil's Cesar Cielo captured the gold in the men's 100m free, stopping the clock at 48.49 to set a pool record. Matt Grevers (Lake Forest, Ill.) followed with the silver-medal time of 49.61. South Africa's Lyndon Ferns rounded out the top three in 49.87.

Two-time Olympian Aaron Peirsol (Irvine, Calif.) destroyed the competition in the men's 200m back by nearly four seconds in a pool record time of 1:55.85. Peirsol's teammate David Cromwell also swam a sub-two minute race to claim second place in 1:59.01. Grevers posted the third-fastest time of the morning with 2:00.16.

Two-time Olympian Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md.) lowered his own U.S. Open record from 1:53.71 to 1:53.31 to win the men's 200m butterfly. Brazil's Kaio Almeida was second in 1:56.44 and Davis Tarwater (Knoxville, Tenn.) was third in 1:56.99.

Erik Vendt (North Easton, Mass.) fell just shy of breaking the men's 400m free American record by fourth-tenths with a time of 3:44.56. Vendt took home the gold, while American-record holder Klete Keller (Phoenix, Ariz.) was second in 3:49.29. Chad LaTourette (Mission Viejo, Calif.) was third 3:52.35.

In the women's 200m butterfly, Descenza added to her Toyota 2007-2008 Grand Prix Series point total, winning the event with a time of 2:09.01. Kim Vandenberg (Moraga, Calif.) won silver in 2:09.47 and Felicia Lee (Towson, Md.) won bronze in 2:12.73.

Prelims will continue Saturday with the men's and women's 200m free, 200m breast, 50m free and the 400m IM. View full results of the 2008 Missouri Grand Prix from the Mizzou Aquatic Center on-line.