Double Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima of Japan set a world record in the men's 200 meter breaststroke on Sunday. Wearing Speedo's LZR Racer, Kitajima clocked a time of 2 minutes, 07.51 seconds at the Japan Open, taking almost a second off the previous mark set by American Brendan Hansen in 2006. It is the 38th world record set by a swimmer using Speedo's LZR Racer swimsuit since it was introduced in February. Kitajima, who won the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke at the 2004 Olympics, also set two new national records at the meet. Kitajima is contracted to wear a Mizuno swimsuit at the Beijing Olympics, but the Japan Swimming Federation will meet Tuesday to discuss the contract. Last month, three Japanese sportswear makers, including Mizuno, introduced new versions of high-tech swimsuits intended to compete with Speedo's suit for Beijing. On Saturday, Kitajima clocked a time of 27.65 seconds in the men's 50 meter breaststroke, breaking his own national record of 27.78 set at the 2005 World Championships in Montreal. He rewrote his own national record in the 100 breaststroke on Friday with a time 59.53, 0.09 seconds better than his previous personal best, and 0.40 seconds off the world record held by Hansen. Phelps wins third gold In Nebraska, six-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps won his third gold of the Mutual of Omaha Swimvitational on Saturday as top US swimmers try out the venue for the upcoming Beijing Olympic trials. Phelps won the men's 100m back in 53.42sec, 41-hundredths of a second off his personal best but comfortably in front of David Plummer (54.82). With the win Phelps secured the crown in USA Swimming's eight-meeting Toyota Grand Prix Series, with another day of action still scheduled Sunday in the two remaining Grands Prix – here and at the Charlotte Ultra Swim in North Carolina. Olympians Erik Vendt (400m medley), Peter Vanderkaay (men's 200m free), Margaret Hoelzer (women's 100m back) and Megan Jendrick (women's 100m breaststroke) also earned gold Saturday.
