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Zhang China's first male swimming champion
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-07-30 02:58

ROME: Zhang Lin obliterated the world record to steam to victory in the men's 800 m freestyle and become China's first male swimming world champion on Wednesday.

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Zhang finishing in a breathtaking time of seven minutes 32.12 seconds, taking more than six seconds off the mark of 7:38.65 set by retired former world champion Grant Hackett of Australia in 2005.

"This is a breakthrough for Chinese men's swimming," Zhang told reporters.

Zhang was the first Chinese man to win an Olympic swimming medal with his silver in the 400 freestyle last year.

Tunisia's Olympic 1,500 champion Oussama Mellouli, the pre-race favourite, was well beaten into second place even though he too went below Hackett's old best.

Canada's Ryan Cochrane was third.

Mellouli set the swift early pace but he had no answer when Zhang upped the tempo.

It was the Tunisian's second silver medal of the week after he was also the runner-up in the 400 freestyle on Sunday.