MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Roland Schoeman of South Africa defended his title in the men’s 50 butterfly – a non-Olympic event, at the World Swimming Championships Monday.

He won in 23.18 seconds to edge Portland’s Ian Crocker (23.47).

“I struggled a little bit trying to fight the water,” he said. “I wanted to crush it like a big diamond.”

Crocker earned the silver – his third consecutive runner-up finish at the world meet. Jakob Schiott Andkjaer of Denmark took the bronze.

Libby Lenton and Jess Schipper gave Australia a 1-2 finish in the women’s 100 butterfly final. Lenton’s time of 57.15 broke Schipper’s meet record of 57.23 set two years ago in Montreal. Schipper settled for silver and American Natalie Coughlin earned the bronze.

American teenager Katie Hoff won her second consecutive world title in the 200 individual medley. Hoff, teammate Whitney Myers and Shayne Reese were all under world-record pace at different points in the race, but Hoff couldn’t hang on to beat the 10-year-old mark. Hoff finished in 2:10.13, lowering her meet record from two years ago.

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe took the silver, her same result as in 2005. Stephanie Rice of Australia earned the bronze, with Myers in fourth.

AP-ES-03-26-07 1531EDT