Ledecky smashes world record, Phelps wins

GOLD COAST (Australia), Aug 23 (AFP): Katie Ledecky smashed another world record as Michael Phelps claimed his first individual gold medal post-retirement at the Pan Pacific Championships in Australia on Saturday.

American wonder teen Ledecky set the first world record of the Gold Coast meet, shaving almost half a second off the 400-metres freestyle mark she set at this month's US Championships.

The 17-year-old schoolgirl clocked three minutes 58.37 seconds to eclipse her previous mark by 0.49sec.

"It's a great feeling. It never really gets old," Ledecky said of her latest world record-breaking swim.

Phelps, 29, who was a member of the USA's winning 4x200m freestyle relay Friday, shaded Lochte by 0.38sec in winning the butterfly event in 51.29 adding to his haul of international titles just four months into his comeback.