5 0 ▁metres ▁and ▁finished ▁with ▁a ▁time ▁of ▁ 3 : 4 0 . 0 7 , ▁sh aving ▁nearly ▁three ▁seconds ▁off ▁his ▁own ▁personal ▁best ▁and ▁better ing ▁Ian ▁Thor pe ' s ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁world ▁record ▁by ▁one - h undred th ▁of ▁a ▁second . ▁On ▁ 2 8 ▁July , ▁he ▁claimed ▁his ▁second ▁gold ▁of ▁the ▁meet ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0   m ▁fre est yle , ▁defe ating ▁Michael ▁Ph el ps ▁in ▁a ▁world ▁record ▁time ▁of ▁ 1 : 4 2 . 0 0 ▁and ▁cutting ▁more ▁than ▁four ▁seconds ▁off ▁of ▁his ▁time ▁since ▁last ▁year . ▁Many ▁critic ise ▁the ▁authentic ity ▁of ▁B ied ermann ' s ▁world ▁records ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 m ▁and ▁ 4 0 0 m ▁fre est yle , ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁sw um ▁with ▁the ▁now ▁b anned ▁" super - su its ," ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁L Z R ▁R ac er , ▁that ▁were ▁proven ▁to ▁give ▁an ▁unf air ▁advantage ▁particularly ▁over ▁the ▁longer ▁distance ▁fre est yle ▁races . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁Short ▁Cour se ▁World s , ▁B ied ermann ▁won ▁gold ▁in ▁the ▁ 4 0 0 ▁m ▁fre est yle , ▁be ating ▁O uss ama ▁M ell ou li ▁again ▁in ▁a ▁race ▁that ▁unfold ed ▁almost ▁ident ically ▁to ▁their ▁race ▁in ▁Rome ▁the ▁previous ▁year . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 0