The Australian Swim team has continued on its winning way through Europe, taking out eight events on the opening night of the Mare Nostrum meet in Barcelona.

Team Captain Grant Hackett led the way with victory in the 400 metre freestyle.

As was the case in Rome on Friday and Saturday when he took the 400 and 800m freestyle double, a controlled Hackett was outstanding, clocking a meet record of 3:47.89 after leading from start to finish to leave fellow World Championships finalists, American Peter Vanderkaay (3:47.93) and Russian Yury Prilukov (3:50.03), in his wake.

Other Australian winners were Brisbane-based 18-year-old Bronte Barratt, who claimed her first victory at this level, along with Stephanie Rice, Felicity Galvez, Sally Foster, Andrew Lauterstein, Sophie Edington and Ashley Delaney who all continued the form that saw them win races in Rome and Canet over the weekend.

The Dolphins also won nine silver and six bronze medals out of 20 events at the competition that included World and Olympic championship medallists from Europe, the USA and Asia.

The meet continues tomorrow before the final round of the series in Monaco on the weekend.

AAP