DUBAI // If Ryan Lochte continues to swim with such purpose this week, he threatens to put Dubai's Gold Souk out of business.
Last night, on his way to securing his second gold medal in as many days here at the Fina Short Course World Championships, the American set the first individual swimming world record since the prohibition of high-tech bodysuits.
Lochte triumphed in the 400-metre individual medley at Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Sports Complex with a time of 3mins 55.50secs, smashing Hungarian Laszlo Cseh's previous record, set last year, by nearly two seconds.
"I wasn't really expecting that," Lochte said. "I was going out there, racing the field and I had no idea where I was during the race.
"I'm really happy. It was a world record and you have to be happy with that. Every year, everyone is getting faster.
"I don't think it has sunk in yet. I'm not one of those people who will celebrate or let it get to me. As soon as I touched the wall it's over.
"It feels good. It's the nature of the sport that people are going to find different ways to get faster. Records are made to be broken and it is only a matter of time. I guess I am lucky that it came sooner.
"We had a team meeting this afternoon and said we had to turn it around. Breaking a world record always gets the team pumped up.
" I love doing the 400 IM. It is one of the hardest events and I am going to keep doing it."
Lochte also spoke of the care he takes in avoiding ingesting anything that could jeopardise his career. "What I have always been told with the Team USA is when you take supplements you take them at your own risk. If you take something - even it if it was given to you - you gotta be careful and take it at your own risk."
Oussama Mellouli finished 1.90secs behind in second - much to the delight of a very vocal Turkish crowd - while Lochte's compatriot, Scott Clary, was third, a further 0.16secs back.
"It's almost bittersweet," Clary said. "[For the US] to get a world record [but for me to] come third. It's absolutely the best I've ever swum, but Ryan's having an amazing year and he deserves it."
Lochte had been keen to emulate Michael Phelps, his Olympic 4x200m relay teammate, by winning eight golds this week and achieved the perfect start on Wednesday's opening day when he won the 200m free. But the 26-year-old's target was derailed when his country managed only fourth place in the 400m relay later the same night.
Yesterday evening, the US relay team, competing in the 4x200m relay without Phelps, who opted not to travel to Dubai this week, finished second despite bettering the world record. First-placed Russia finished in 6:49.04 - 0.55secs ahead of the US and almost exactly two seconds faster than Canada's 2009 mark.
"We have all learned so much from Michael," said Clary, who watched the relay from the sidelines. "Everybody learned a lot from the suit era from the 2009 worlds [in Rome]. Everybody learned what it felt like to swim with a better body position and the experience of that feel has paid off a lot, especially this year now that we can relate that to how we train. It's a sure sign of progression in the past year and a half."
There was more joy for Russia, too as Evgeny Korotyshkin won gold in in the men's 100m butterfly to go with his 4x200m gold and Stanislav Donets won the men's 100m backstroke.
Cesar Cielo Filho, the Brazilian who finished fastest in the 50m free semi-finals and will be challenged by American Nathan Adrian in today's final, said he expected Lochte to break more world records in the coming days.
"That was sick, man," said Cielo of Lochte's performance in the 400m medley. "I can't even do that in freestyle. I believe, that will be the first of many."
Lochte has three more individual events before the championships end on Sunday.
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
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Red Jersey
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Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
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Stars: 3
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group F
Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)
The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
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