Swimming : Biondi Breaks Own Record in 100 Freestyle

ORLANDO, Fla. —  Matt Biondi broke his own world record in the 100-meter freestyle Tuesday night, covering the distance in 48.74 seconds in the U.S. Swimming World Championship Trials.

Biondi, of Moraga, Calif., beat his former record by .21 and second-place finisher Tom Jager of Collinsville, Ill., by nearly two seconds. Olympic medalist Mike Heath of Dallas was third.

If not for Biondi’s performance, Betsy Mitchell would have been the star of the night. The Marrieta, Ohio, swimmer bettered her own seven-month-old American record in the 100-meter backstroke by more than half a second with a time of 1:01.20.

The other two winners Tuesday night were Debbie Babashoff of Mission Viejo, Calif., in the women’s 400-meter freestyle and Dan Veatch of Rockville, Md., in the men’s 200-meter backstroke.

Biondi has made the U.S. team for this year’s World Championships in three events, the 100 and 200 freestyle and the 100 butterfly. He will try for a fourth, the 50 freestyle, Thursday.

If Biondi wins that one he will set another record regardless of his time. Nobody has ever swept the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles in a U.S. Swimming championship meet.

Mitchell will be joined on the U.S. team at the World Championships by Anne Mahoney of Wichita, Kan., who was a distant second Tuesday in 1:03.18.

Babashoff, the younger sister of 1976 Olympic team members Shirley and Jack Babashoff, won the 400 freestyle in 4:09.97. Kim Brown of Mission Viejo was second in 4:11.51.

Veatch, a senior at Princeton, was timed in 2:02.81 with David Fairbanks of Cincinnati in second at 2:03.19.