Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe regained the women's 200m backstroke world title in a world record of 2min 04.81sec on Saturday.

Coventry lowered her own previous record of 2:05.24, set in winning gold at the Beijing Games last August 16, her second straight Olympic title in the event after her triumph in Athens.

"I am very excited. I went into the race knowing it would be tight, and it was," said Coventry, who won the world title in Montreal in 2005 but surrendered it to American Margaret Hoelzer in Melbourne in 2007.

While Coventry led at every turn, Russian Anastasia Zueva was second in 2:04.94 - also under Coventry's previous record - and American Elizabeth Beisel third in 2:06.39.

It was the second time in the championships that Zueva swam inside a world record and settled for silver, the first coming in her runner-up finish to Gemma Spofforth in the 100m back.

Coventry's was the 36th world record of the championships, a tally that stood at a whopping 39 by the end of Saturday night.

She said she tried not to think about the records - and the controversy over the polyurethane suits that have fueled the outburst.

"For me, the biggest thing was staying focused and keeping the suit debate out of my mind," Coventry said.

"I am really looking towards January when we will have a fresh start and I am excited about that challenge," she added of the new swimsuit regulations to take effect next year.

Zueva said she went out a little too fast, but she was pleased to hold on for the silver.

"I had a lot of strength until the end," she said.