SA swimmer Cameron van der Burgh looks onwards from Barcelona

Swimmer Cameron van der Burgh won gold and broke a championship record in the 50m breastroke on the final day of the Mare Nostrum Series in Barcelona on Sunday.

Van der Burgh broke the championship record of 23.71 seconds which has stood since 2003 as he raced to the finish line in a time of 23.56 ahead of Norway's Alexander Dale Oen in 28.04 and Romania's Dragos Agache in 28.16.

Other South Africans who competed on the final day included Myles Brown who finished seventh in the 1500m freestyle with a time of 15:40.69, Karen Prinsloo who came eighth in the 50m backstroke (29.36) and Vanessa Mohr who swam fifth in the 50m butterfly with a time of 27.10.

It was fourth position for Chad le Clos, in the 400m individual medley. Le Clos ended in a time of 4:20.27.

In the 100m backstroke, Charl Crous came in seventh with a time of 55.85 while Jean Basson finished eighth in the 200m freestyle in 1:51.05.

Swimmer Cameron van der Burgh won gold and broke a championship record in the 50m breastroke on the final day of the Mare Nostrum Series in Barcelona on Sunday.

Van der Burgh broke the championship record of 23.71 seconds which has stood since 2003 as he raced to the finish line in a time of 23.56 ahead of Norway's Alexander Dale Oen in 28.04 and Romania's Dragos Agache in 28.16.

Other South Africans who competed on the final day included Myles Brown who finished seventh in the 1500m freestyle with a time of 15:40.69, Karen Prinsloo who came eighth in the 50m backstroke (29.36) and Vanessa Mohr who swam fifth in the 50m butterfly with a time of 27.10.

It was fourth position for Chad le Clos, in the 400m individual medley. Le Clos ended in a time of 4:20.27.

In the 100m backstroke, Charl Crous came in seventh with a time of 55.85 while Jean Basson finished eighth in the 200m freestyle in 1:51.05.

Supersport.com said double world champion swimmer Cameron van der Burgh used Saturday's Mare Nostrum competition in Barcelona to add the finishing touches to his preparations for the 14th Fina World Championships in Shanghai, China in July.

Van der Burgh is with the South African swimming team where they will participate in the Mare Nostrum series.

The aquatic season starts in earnest with the series in Barcelona, Canet, Monte Carlo and Rome.

"I am very satisfied with my training thus far, being only a year out of Olympic Games I'm working very hard and trying some new things I will test out in the next couple of competitions," said Van der Burgh.

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