China's Sun Yang raises his national flag to spectators after winning the gold medal in the men's 1,500m Freestyle event at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Shanghai, China, Sunday, July 31, 2011. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
China's Sun Yang raises his national flag to spectators after winning the gold medal in the men's 1,500m Freestyle event at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Shanghai, China, Sunday, July 31, 2011. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
China's Sun Yang shows the gold medal he won in the men's 1,500m Freestyle event at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Shanghai, China, Sunday, July 31, 2011. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
China's Sun Yang swims on his way to winning the men's 1,500m Freestyle final with a new world record of 14 minutes 34.14 seconds at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Shanghai, China, Sunday, July 31, 2011. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)
Chinese fans cheer the country's Sun Yang swim in the men's 1,500m Freestyle final at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Shanghai, China, Sunday, July 31, 2011. Sun won the gold medal with a new world record of 14 minutes 34.14 seconds in the event. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
China's Sun Yang gestures after competing in a men's 1,500m Freestyle heat at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Shanghai, China, Saturday, July 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
SHANGHAI (AP) ? The swimming world championships ended with a jolt Sunday when emerging Chinese star Sun Yang broke the oldest world record in the sport ? Australian great Grant Hackett's 10-year-old mark in the 1,500 meters.
Sun was more than two seconds off Hackett's pace with four laps to go in the marathon in the pool, but ignored fatigue and accelerated on the final two laps to finish in 14 minutes, 34.14 seconds, improving on Hackett's mark of 14:34.56 set at the 2001 worlds in Fukuoka, Japan.
"I was not obsessed with the world record before the final, because I wanted to focus on my plan," Sun said. "My goal is to win the gold."
After the race, Sun was congratulated on weibo ? China's version of Twitter ? by Liu Xiang, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist, a former world record holder in the 110-meter hurdles and a sports hero in China.
"I think Liu Xiang created history in 2004. I watched the games on TV and after he won the gold medal, I was very excited. I thought someday, I will be like him," Sun said.
The crowd at the Oriental Sports Center provided loud support over the final laps, erupting into more joy when the clock stopped four-tenths of a second inside Hackett's mark.
Fifth-place finisher Chad La Tourette of the United States said he was "just happy to be a part of it."
"I knew he was going to be close at the 800," La Tourette said. "That was a fantastic swim and it really just kind of sets himself apart as a once-in-a-generation type swimmer like Grant was."
It was only the second world record to fall in swimming since high-tech bodysuits were banned 19 months ago ? and Hackett's record had been the only mark to withstand the record deluge during the polyurethane era of 2008 and 2009.
American all-around star Ryan Lochte set the first world record since the return to textile suits at this meet Tuesday in the 200 individual medley.
The two world records set in this eight-day meet were a sharp contrast from the 43 marks that dropped at the last worlds in Rome two years ago.
Lochte, the overall standout of the meet, also won the 400 IM Sunday for his fifth gold, beating silver medalist and teammate Tyler Clary by a massive four seconds.
"I'm glad this meet's over. It's been a long, long eight days," Lochte said. "Getting five gold medals is definitely great. The times I went, I know I can go faster."
Michael Phelps, meanwhile, finished with four golds after pushing the Americans in front during the butterfly leg in the 4x100 medley relay. Nathan Adrian held off a late comeback attempt by Australia's James Magnussen in the anchor leg.
The Americans won in 3:32.06, Australia took silver in 3:32.26 and Germany got bronze in 3:32.60.
Lochte wasn't included on the U.S. squad for the final relay of the meet.
In other events, 33-year-old Therese Alshammar of Sweden won the women's 50 free and American Elizabeth Beisel took gold in the women's 400 IM. Another American, Jessica Hardy, reclaimed the 50 breaststroke title she lost two years ago during a doping ban, and Liam Tancock gave Britain its second gold in as many nights in the 50 back.
The Americans' performance on the final night moved them in front of China on the overall medals table ? including diving and other sports ? with 17 golds to China's 15.
The 19-year-old Sun also won the 800 free earlier in the meet, plus a silver in the 400 and a bronze with China's 4x200 relay squad. He is coached by Hackett's former mentor, Dennis Cotterell.
Sun had already come close to Hackett's mark when he won at the Asian Games last November in Guangzhou, China, in 14:35.43.
Upon breaking Hackett's mark, an exhausted Sun celebrated mildly, then bowed to the crowd. Later, nearly all the fans in attendance sang along to the Chinese anthem.
"I still think I have things to improve, especially my mental state," Sun said. "After winning the gold medal, I think more and more people will pay more attention to me. There's no doubt I will feel more pressure but I'm still young and I don't want to be burdened by gigantic pressures. So next year, I will keep a relaxed mindset so I can handle future races."
Ryan Cochrane of Canada wasn't far behind Sun for the first half of the race, then dropped back to finish second in 14:44.46, while Gergo Kis of Hungary took the bronze in 14:45.66.
As Lochte exited the pool deck, he tossed his two swim caps into an appreciative crowd. Clary finished in 4:11.17 and Yuya Horihata of Japan got bronze in 4:11.98.
Lochte leaves Shanghai having won all four of his individual events ? beating Phelps in two of them. He took another gold, plus a bronze, with the U.S. relay teams.
Lochte also beat Phelps in two events at last year's U.S. championships, then won six golds to Phelps' five at the Pan Pacific Championships in 2010 ? prompting Phelps' coach Bob Bowman to acknowledge that Lochte was the best swimmer last year.
Now it's fair to say Lochte has had the edge over Phelps this year, too, setting up an enticing duel at next year's London Olympics.
Alshammar, a four-time Olympian, won the 50 free in 24.14 ahead of two Dutch swimmers ? Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Marleen Veldhuis. Defending champion and world record holder Britta Steffen of Germany withdrew earlier in the meet.
Hardy missed the 2009 worlds while serving a one-year doping ban, even though the Court of Arbitration for Sport accepted that she was not at fault for consuming a contaminated dietary supplement. She won in 30.19, while 2009 winner Yuliya Efimova of Russia took the silver and another American, Rebecca Soni, got bronze.
Tancock's victory followed British teammate Rebecca Adlington's 800 free victory a day earlier, but his win won't create as much clamor going into next year's London Games because the 50 back is not an Olympic event.
(This version CORRECTS Corrects weibo details; adds detail.)
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