BARCELONA, Spain, 23 July 2003 — Ian Thorpe of Australia underlined his status as the world’s greatest swimmer when he successfully defended his men’s 200m freestyle title at the expense of Olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenband at world swimming championships here yesterday.

But the Australian now has another challenger in American teenager Michael Phelps who later came out and set a new world record in the 200m butterfly semifinals at the Palau Sant Jordi pool.

The 18-year-old from Baltimore timed 1:53.93 to better the previous mark of 1:54.58 which he set on his way to gold in the event two years ago in Fukuoka, Japan.

Phelps is one of Thorpe’s major rivals after improving his 400m medley mark, and shattering the longstanding 200m medley world record, with the duo set for a mouth-watering showdown in the latter race next weekend. But the 20-year-old Thorpedo showed that he was ready for his challengers when he claimed his tenth world gold at the expense of Van den Hoogenband.

Thorpe, the world record holder over the distance, clocked 1min 45.14sec to push the Dutchman into second in 1:46.43 with Australian Grant Hackett taking bronze in 1:46.85.

But his Australian teammates Matthew Welsh and Leisel Jones were not so fortunate with Welsh losing his 100m backstroke crown to Aaron Peirsol of the United States.

Peirsol, 20, the world champion and record holder in the 200m backstroke, clocked 53.61sec to push defending Welsh into joint silver with Russia’s Arkady Vyatchanin after both timed 53.92.

Earlier Luo Xuejuan of China became the first woman to successfully defend her women’s 100m breaststroke title. She clocked 1:06.80 ahead of Amanda Beard of the United States in 1:07.42, with Jones having to settle for bronze after timing 1:07.47.

Hannah Stockbauer, meanwhile, successfully defended her 1500m title, and fellow German Antje Buschschulte won the women’s 100m backstroke.

It was the fourth world gold for the 21-year-old Stockbauer, who also took the 400m freestyle title last weekend.

She clocked 16min 00.18sec to come in comfortably ahead of Hayley Peirsol of the United States, who timed 16:09.64, with fellow German Jana Henke timing 16:10.13 for bronze.

Stockbauer took the lead after 150 meters from Britain’s Rebecca Cooke and held on comfortably.

In the women’s 100m backstroke, Buschschulte timed 1min 00.50sec with Louise Ornstedt of Denmark and Britain’s Katy Sexton sharing silver in 1:00.86.