Five world records were bettered at Monday evening's session of the world swimming championships in Rome.

Australian Brenton Rickard impoved the men's 100m breaststroke world record to win the title, while Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom broke her own record in the 100m butterfly final.

American Ariana Kukors claimed the gold and a new world record at the women's 200m individual medley, becoming the first women to break the 2:07mark.

Her compatriot Rebecca Soni broke the women's 100m breaststroke record in the semifinals, while Russian Anastasia Zueva pulled off a new world mark in the women's 100m backstroke.

(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2009)