Higl and Gyurta add romance to damaged worlds

ROME (Reuters) - Nadja Higl and Daniel Gyurta produced shock 200 meter breaststroke victories on Friday to show that fairytales were still possible at a swimming world championships dogged by the controversy over hi-tech suits.

Serbia's Higl came from nowhere to seize gold in the women's final after American Olympic champion Rebecca Soni had gone off like a torpedo only to burn out before the wall.

Unlike most of the finals this week in Rome, there was no world record for Higl, just the knowledge she had beaten the best and deserved her title.

"I came to Rome hoping to reach the semi-final, then I got into the final and I won the gold medal. It's a dream and I still can't believe it," she told reporters after bagging a first ever female swimming world championship gold for Serbia.

Canada's Annamay Pierse smashed the world record in Thursday's semi-final but she could only finish a close second to Higl with Austrian Mirna Jukic snatching third from an exhausted Soni, who won Tuesday's 100 breaststroke.

Hungary's Gyurta was similarly unfancied in the men's event but he kept his nerve to beat big names Eric Shanteau of the United States and Australia's Christian Sprenger, who broke the world record in the semis but had to settle for joint-third.

"I didn't see anything in the last five meters. I just went for it," Gyurta told reporters.

BATTERED IMAGE

The fact Gyurta and Higl won without beating world records made their feats even more remarkable, especially as six still fell on Friday to bring the total at the championships to 35.

The torrent of world records is largely down to performance-enhancing polyurethane suits, which governing body FINA has confirmed will be banned from January.

The sport will return to textile only costumes and shorts for men in an attempt to salvage its battered image.

FINA gave the go-ahead for the controversial suits to be used for these championships only last month but a clamor of dissatisfaction from swimmers and coaches prompted a u-turn.

The decision to go back to textiles means many of the recent records could stay unbroken for years.

Germany's Britta Steffen, who had bettered the 100 freestyle record in Sunday's 4x100 relay, smashed it again to win the women's final in 52.07 seconds.

Another world record followed in the men's 200 backstroke final when America's Aaron Peirsol made up for his semi-final exit in the 100 to easily take gold in one minute 51.92.

Two were then shattered in double-quick time with Dutchwoman Magdalena Veldhuis improving her previous fastest ever time in the first 50 butterfly semi-final only for Sweden's Therese Alshammar to go quicker in the second semi.

The bubbly defending champion credited the magic of Rome for her 25.07 swim rather than a suit.

"Rome is fantastic, I love it. Everyday I have coffee. It's the best place in Europe," she told reporters.

The crowd only had a championship record to cheer in the men's 50 freestyle semi-finals when France's Frederick Bousquet qualified quickest, but the world record graphic was back on the giant scoreboard before too long.

Serbia's Milorad Cavic burst through the open air pool at the venue for the 1960 Olympics in just 50.01 in the 100 butterfly semi-finals, beating Michael Phelps' U.S. trials record of 50.22 from earlier this month.

Phelps qualified second in 50.48.

The 24-year-old American will be looking for a fourth gold in these championships in Saturday's final after winning his third by helping the United States to victory in the 4x200 relay.

They were almost caught by Russia but hung on for a world record time of 6:58.55.

(Additional reporting by Ian Simpson and Paul Virgo; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)