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Cate Campbell breaks 100m world record

AAP

AAP

Australia’s Cate Campbell has set a new 100m freestyle world record at the Brisbane Grand Prix on Saturday night.

Former world champion Campbell clocked 52.06 seconds, eclipsing German Britta Steffen’s old mark of 52.07 set at the 2009 world titles during the now banned supersuit era.

It is the first individual world record an Australian swimmer has set since the controversial 2008-09 supersuit period.

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Campbell, 24, already had a target on her head ahead of Rio after grabbing the world No.1 ranking for 2016 with her 52.38 clocked at the Olympic trials in April.
Her previous 100m personal best was 52.33s.

But all eyes will now be on Campbell at the Rio pool after her world record heroics witnessed by the great Dawn Fraser pool-side.

“It happened when I least expected it. I still can’t believe it happened,” Campbell said.

“People have been asking me when am I going to break a world record for the last three years.

“Now they will stop asking me the question.”

Campbell is back to the height of her powers after shoulder surgery derailed her 2015 world titles campaign in Russia.

Illness ensured she missed contesting the individual 100m event at London but was part of Australia’s gold medal 4x100m freestyle relay team at the 2012 Games.

She won the 2013 100m world title.

Campbell said she would trade the record for a gold medal at Rio.

“Anyone who goes to the Olympics and says they are not after gold are kidding themselves,” she said.

She expected the time to also fire up her sister, the reigning 50m and 100m freestyle world champion Bronte Campbell.

Her younger sibling was not in action on Saturday night due to illness.

The Brisbane Grand Prix is the Australia swimming team’s final hit out on home soil before the Rio Games.

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