Grant Hackett's form at the weekend returned him to the role of favourite for the 1,500m title in Beijing: seven years after clocking a 7:25.28 world short-course record in the 800m freestyle in the year in which he raced to that stunning 14:34 world 1,500m long-course standard, Hackett chose the Victorian Championships to send a clear message to his Beijing-bound rivals: a world record of 7:23.42.

The difference between the 2001 and 2008 standards was made between 300m and 500m.

The 2008 splits: 25.39, 52.92 (27.53), 1:20.76 (27.84), 1:48.55 (27.79), 2:16.47 (27.92), 2:44.62 (28.15), 3:12.83 (28.21), 3:41.02 (28.19), 4:08.99 (27.97), 4:37.22 (28.23), 5:05.43 (28.12), 5:33.75 (28.32), 6:01.92 (28.17), 6:30.09 (28.17), 6:57.29 (27.20), 7:23.42 (26.13).

Hackett also won the 400m, in 3:35.16, close to his 2002 world record of 3:34.58. In Beijing, Hackett is among the gold medal favourites in the 400m and 1,500m freestyle. Victory in the 30-lap battle would make him the first man to win the same event at three Olympic Games - provided that Pieter van den Hoogenband does not get there first in the 100m freestyle.