Brazil's Cesar Cielo added the men's 50m freestyle gold to his sprint butterfly title at swimming's world championships on Saturday - just 10 months after surgery on both knees.

Cielo, the defending champion and world record holder, clocked 21.32 sec to edge Russia's Vladimir Morozov by 0.15 and Trinidad and Tobago's George Bovell by 0.19 in the freestyle sprint.

"I'm ecstatic; I feel as if I'm dreaming," said Cielo.

"This is just the first step towards the 2016 Olympics in Rio," added the 26-year-old, before bursting into tears during the medal ceremony.

After winning bronze in the 50m freestyle final at the London Olympics, Cielo underwent surgery on both knees at the end of 2012 and has only been able to train properly since March.

And after the disappointment of London and his subsequent injury troubles, Cielo described the feeling as the best he has experienced.

"I was not expected to win. When I saw the scoreboard I was ecstatic.

"I had no idea what position I was in. This was the best feeling I've had after a race.

"I finished the Olympics in a place I didn't want to. After the Olympics and injuries I started to doubt myself and whether I would be able to make it here.

"Now I've just had one of the best races in my life.

"The tears are for putting the whole of last year and the bitter feeling I had behind me."

And with six gold medals from the last three world championships, Cielo has now tied Russian Alexander Popov as the only non-American to win six individual world championship titles.

Popov was at the Palau Saint Jordi pool on Saturday to hand out the medals and Cielo was delighted to meet his idol.

"I actually spoke to him for the first time even before we went out to get the medals. He gave me some great advice and told me I was going in the right direction."

The 21-year-old had produced a stunning first 50m in the 100m freestyle final on Thursday before floundering in the final quarter of the race.

However, Morozov - who was also part of the Russian 4x100m relay team that took bronze earlier in the week - believes the experience will help him in his quest to go one better at the world championships on home soil in Kazan in two years' time.

"I wish I hadn't gone out as fast in the 100m but it was definitely a hint that I could go fast in the 50m.

"I am really stoked with these medals already. This is my first long course championships, so to come here and get a medal is great and in 2015 I will do my best to get the gold medal."

And there was a shock bronze for Bovell, who admitted he had thought about retiring before traveling to the Catalan capital.

"I just turned 30 in July and I was afraid that if I came here and did not have a successful meet that there would be even more pressure on me to give up," Bovell said.

"But I love swimming and I didn't want to give it up.

"I'm very grateful that this medal allows me to justify to myself that the effort I am putting in is paying off.

"Now my intention is to keep swimming until the Rio Olympics."

(China Daily 08/05/2013 page24)