Tuesday, August 12, 2008 - 2:02 PM

Australia's Hayden Stoeckel has dead-heated for bronze in the men's 100 metres backstroke with American Aaron Peirsol breaking the world record to win gold.

Another American, Matt Grevers, finished just 0.07 of a second ahead of Stoeckel and Russian Arkady Vyatchanin.

Peirsol, the defending champion, led from start to finish to set a new world mark of 52.54 seconds.

Stoeckel reacted to his by saying he had over-achieved. "It's just amazement, really," he said.

"I came into the Olympics not really thinking I'd get a medal or anything. I just wanted to make the final. I'm just thrilled."

Stoeckel says he initially thought he had missed out on a medal.

"I saw four next to my name, and then I realised it was the lane," he said.

"Then I saw Arkady [Vyatchanin] with third and I thought, I didn't get a podium.

"And then I saw I got equal third, and I was like - 'yes' - so I got up there. It was just an amazing feeling."

He also paid tribute to his family.

"I've had really supportive parents, and I love them dearly, and also my sister she's been really supportive," he said.

"That's been really great, just to get me up there, and it's paid off."

Stoeckel says moving home to Adelaide and working with a sports psychiatrist has been integral to his improvement as a swimmer.

"Pain. Nobody likes pain. But I don't mind it now," he said.

"Bring it on."

Stunning swim


Stoeckel stunned his rivals yesterday by swimming what was then the second-fastest time in history to win his semi-final.

Stoeckel set a new Olympic record and narrowly missed out on Peirsol's world mark with a time of 52.97.

Fellow Australian Ashley Delaney snuck into the final with the eighth-fastest time of 53.76.

He improved to finish fifth in the final.