ROME (AP) - Michael Phelps was sitting in the stands. It didn't matter, not at the fastest show on water.
Seven more world records on the fifth night of the world swimming championships pushed the total to 29, sending Rome right on past last summer's Beijing Olympics that were thought to be the limit of speed in the pool. The Water Cube has been left in the dust - and there's still three more days of competition at the Foro Italico.
With Phelps cheering him on, Ryan Lochte got things rolling by breaking Phelps' mark in the 200-meter individual medley. The Chinese women finished it off, eclipsing the 800 freestyle relay mark by more than two seconds, with the Americans also breaking the previous record but only getting silver.
How fast were they swimming in those high-tech suits that soon will be banned by FINA?
More than half of the 13 races held Thursday night, including semifinals and finals, produced world records. They were falling so fast, the crowd barely had time to cheer before another mark dropped.
"I think it's only been two or three races that haven't had a world record," said Australia's Jess Schipper, who got in on the fun by taking down the old standard in the 200 butterfly.
So, is that a good thing? Or does it lessen the accomplishment when just about everyone is going faster than ever before?
"It's hard to say," Schipper said. "It's been a very exciting meet. It's been very fast. But we all knew it was going to be fast coming in here, so nobody can say that they didn't expect this. I think that the world records, while they may have been helped with the suits, it still has a lot to do with the swimmer and the work you've put in."
The swimmers are enjoying the ride, knowing this might be as fast as they'll ever swim and have it count. Some of these records could stand for years, even decades, if FINA follows through on its plan to ban bodysuits in 2010 and ensure that next-generation attire is made from textile fabrics instead of buoyant materials such as polyurethane.
Soaking up some rays on the sunny side of the stadium, a bare-chested Phelps joined in the celebration when Lochte touched in 1 minute, 54.10 seconds. That broke Phelps' gold-medal time of 1:54.23 from Beijing.
And Lochte did it wearing the year-old Speedo LZR Racer, just as Phelps was the previous night when he broke his own world record in the 200 butterfly.
"Everyone is complaining about all these new suits, blah blah blah, and I go out there and wear the same suit that's been out there and I just give it to them," Lochte said.
Lochte would have liked Phelps in the water, not the stands. Phelps actually had an entire day off, the result of a reduced schedule in Rome. Not quite as fit as he was last year, he dropped both the 200 and 400 individual medley from his program.
"It feels good to do that (world record), but at the same time I wish he was doing it," Lochte said. "I love a challenge. And I love racing against him, because he is one of the best swimmers ever. Anytime I can race against him, I would be more than happy to."
He did break out a new set of "grillz" while receiving his gold, blinging up the medal stand and bringing a little levity to the whole affair, just as he did after winning his first world title at Melbourne two years ago.
"They're just all silver diamonds on them, but this time the diamonds, they're a little bigger so they can shine a little bit more," Lochte said with a grin.
Laszlo Cseh of the Hungary took the silver in 1:55.24, and American Eric Shanteau captured his first major international medal with a bronze.
Shanteau competed at last year's Olympics after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, and his perseverance paid off on a very strong night. He also posted the second-fastest time in the semifinals of the 200 breaststroke, surpassed only by - what else? - a world record, this one by Australia's Christian Sprenger in the first heat.
In one of the most anticipated races of the night, Brazil's Cesar Cielo became the first swimmer to break 47 seconds in the 100 freestyle and have it stand, holding off France's Alain Bernard.
Cielo won the furious down-and-back race in 46.91, beating Eamon Sullivan's mark of 47.05 set during the semifinals of the Beijing Olympics.
Bernard won the Olympic gold when he beat Sullivan in the final. But the big Frenchman had to settle for silver in Rome at 47.12, with countryman Fred Bousquet also reaching the medal stand in third.
Cielo won the 50 free in Beijing, and now he's got a 100 title on his resume.
"I just did what I had to do compared to last year," said Cielo, who broke down in tears on the medal stand. "I'm a lot more mature. I learned a lot, grew up a lot and I'm stronger, too. It all just came together."
Bernard did break 47 seconds this year in the 100 free, but his mark was thrown out because his suit had not been approved by FINA. Eventually, the governing body cleared just about every suit for the world championships, while vowing to rein things in next year.
For now, it's just records, records and more records.
Canada's Annanmay Pierse set a new standard in the women's 200 breast during the semifinals. Her time of 2:20.12 beat Rebecca Soni's record of 2:20.22 from Beijing, but the American will have a chance to take the mark even lower when they meet in the final Friday.
China's Zhao Jing won the women's 50 backstroke, a non-Olympic event, in 27.06 seconds. That knocked off the record set a day earlier by Russia's Anastasia Zueva (27.38), who didn't even get a medal, as it turned out. She finished fourth in the final.
Schipper rallied on the final lap of the 200 breast to win in 2:03.41 seconds. That beat the 2:04.14 posted a day earlier by American Mary Descenza in the preliminaries. Like Zueva, Descenza not only lost her record but a medal by finishing fourth.
Schipper had barely climbed from the water when fellow Aussie Sprenger won his semifinals heat of the 200 breast in 2:07.31, edging out Japanese star Kosuke Kitijima's mark of 2:07.51 set in 2008.
China finished it out in style, holding off the American women in a thrilling 800 free relay. The Chinese built a big lead and held on to win in 7:42.08, which easily surpassed the mark of 7:44.31 set by Australia at the Beijing Games.
The U.S., with Allison Schmitt putting on a furious charge from the anchor leg, was second in 7:42.56.
On any other day, it would have been good enough for gold.
Not in Rome, a meet like no other.