Kitajima defends gold medal, takes back world record in 100 breaststroke

Japan's Kosuke Kitajima took down Brendan Hansen's world record in the 200-meter breaststroke two months before the Olympics started.

Kitajima regained his 100 breaststroke world record with Hansen in the same pool Monday morning at the National Aquatics Center, aka "The Water Cube."

Hansen turned slightly ahead of his rival at the midway point, but Kitajima produced an incredible surge in the final 50 meters to become the first man under 59 seconds, winning going away in 58.91 to become the first repeat gold medalist in the event in Olympic history.

Norway's Alexander Dale Oen -- the leader at the 50-meter mark -- took silver in 59.20 and France's Hugues Duboscq (59.37) captured his second consecutive bronze medal following a third-place effort in Athens in 2004.

Hansen, a silver medalist in Athens, took fourth in 59.57.

Hansen had defeated Kitajima in their two head-to-head meetings since the 2004 Olympics, winning by a second at the Pan Pacific Championships in Canada in 2006 and 59.80 to 59.96 at last year's World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. But the potential thrilling rematch from their race at Athens never materialized down the stretch Monday.

Dale Oen, who clocked 59.16 in the semifinals to close in on Hansen's previous world record of 59.13, took the race out in 27.85, with Hansen right behind in 27.97 and Kitajima in third in 28.03.

But Hansen, who posted his 10th sub-minute clocking since setting the world record in Aug. 2006 in Irvine including a 59.24 at the Olympic trials semifinals, didn't do much to challenge his international rivals late in the race.

Duboscq, who was seventh at the 50-meter mark, put the Americans out of a medal in the event for the first time since 1988.