SWIMMERS Thiago Pereira of Brazil and Stefan Nystrand of Sweden broke world records Sunday at the short-course Arena World Cup in Berlin, Germany.

Pereira swam the men’s 200-meter medley in 1 minute, 53.14 seconds, beating the record of 1:53.31 set by Ryan Lochte of the United States in 2006. Pereira won six gold medals at the Pan Am Games earlier this year.

Nystrand finished the men’s 50 freestyle in 20.93 — 0.05 faster than the mark Roland Schoeman set in 2006. The Swede’s second world record at the meet was the fourth overall in two days at the Europa-Sportpark pool.

In five previous World Cups this season, just one record was broken. Altogether, 79 world records have been set in 25 years at the Arena World Cup.

Marleen Veldhuis of the Netherlands won the VW Golf awarded to the top performer by following a world record in the 50 freestyle Saturday with a European best in the 100 freestyle Sunday. She finished in 52.14, followed by Germany’s Britta Steffen in 52.17 and Dara Torres of the United States in 52.79.

On Saturday, Veldhuis beat Therese Alshammar and broke the Swede’s world record by clocking 23.58 to establish herself as a favorite at the Olympics.

(SD-Agencies)