Swimming: Gyurta wins 200m breaststroke gold

(From L to R) Scott Weltz of the U.S., Hungary's Daniel Gyurta and Britain's Michael Jamieson swim in the men's 200m breaststroke final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre August 1, 2012. Gyurta set a new world record with a time of 2 minutes 7.28 seconds.

LONDON (Reuters) - Hungary's Daniel Gyurta broke the world record to win the 200 meters breaststroke gold medal at the London Olympics on Wednesday, denying the host-nation Britain their first male swimming champion in almost a quarter of a century.

Propelled by a deafening roar inside London's Aquatic Centre, Gyurta held on to beat Michael Jamieson in a desperate finish to win in a time of two minutes 07.28 seconds.

Gyurta shaved 0.03 off the previous world record set by Australia's Christian Sprenger at the 2009 world championships in Rome when the now-banned polyurethane bodysuits were still allowed.

Scottish-born Jamieson was second in 2:07.43 after almost drawing level with Gyurta approaching the wall while Japan's Ryo Tateishi, swimming in the outside lane, was third in 2:08.29.

His countryman Kosuke Kitajima, the two-time defending champion, finished fourth, dashing his hopes of becoming the first male swimmer to win the same event at three successive Olympics.

(Reporting by Julian Linden; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)