Rebecca Soni sets world record at 2012 Olympics

Rebecca Soni celebrates after breaking the world record in the women's 200-meter breaststroke semi-finals swimming event at the London 2012 Olympic Games on Aug. 1, 2012. / Getty Images

(CBS/AP)Continuing the American swim team's outstanding performances in the 2012 Olympics, Rebecca Soni set a world record Wednesday in the 200-meter semifinals for the breaststroke. She finished in a time of 2:20 on Wednesday night.

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The shattered 2:20.12 record had been set by Canadian Annamay Pierse at the World Championships in Rome in 2009.

Soni could get a chance to beat her own record Thursday night in the final in the 200-meter breaststroke. The New Jersey swimmer already has won a silver medal in the 100-meter breaststroke.

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London Olympics: Aug. 1, 2012

Soni shaved 0.12 seconds off the previous mark set by Pierse in a now-banned bodysuit.

It was the fifth world record set in the pool at these games.

Rikke Pedersen of Denmark qualified second in 2:22.23 and Satomi Suzuki of Japan was third in 2:22.40.

The top eight finishers qualified for Thursday's final.

Soni was also favored to win the 100 breast but took silver behind surprise 15-year-old winner Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania.

Meilutyte did not enter the 200.

[karek40]

No information about the now banned body suit? Why is it banned?

[rob56316]

They say the body suit makes them faster and is an unfair advantage to the teams that can afford them so they banned them as "technology doping" or some crazy thing like that...