'Super suited' Hackett shatters world 800m shortcourse record, sends message to Beijing competitors

He couldn't have said 'look out, America' any better. Today, in domestic waters, Grant Hackett, wearing a controversial 'super suit' shattered his own 800m shortcourse record by over two seconds.

Hackett, preparing for a record third 1500m freestyle gold medal at next month's Beijing Olympics, showed his preparation is right on track by shaving 1.86 seconds off his 2001 world mark of 7:25.28.

Hackett, the most high-profile member of the Australian swim team now that Ian Thorpe has retired, also holds the world shortcourse records in the 400m and 1500m freestyle, along with the 800m and 1500m freestyle longcourse world records.

His new record comes just days before he leaves with the Australian team for a pre-Olympic training camp in Kuala Lumpur ahead of the Beijing Games.

This year, swimmers wearing supersuits have broken a record number of World Records, leading to speculation, that the hydrodynamically impeccable outfits - which many athletes from poorer nations cannot afford to wear when they compete - are giving athletes from developed nations an unfair advantage in the pool.

Many swimming purists disdain the supersuit, including fans of former Canadian swimmer and sex symbol Joanne Malar.

Hackett, preparing for a record third 1500m freestyle gold medal at next month's Beijing Olympics, showed his preparation is right on track by shaving 1.86 seconds off his 2001 world mark of 7:25.28.

Hackett also holds the world shortcourse records in the 400m and 1500m freestyle, along with the 800m and 1500m freestyle longcourse world records.

His new record comes just days before he leaves with the Australian team for a pre-Olympic training camp in Kuala Lumpur ahead of the Beijing Games.