Australia’s golden girls were the toast of Shanghai on Day 1 of the FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships. 

Jessicah Schipper confirmed her rating as the world’s premier female butterflyer before Libby Lenton spearheaded a last gasp win in the 4x200m freestyle relay in an exciting opening night.

The Aussie girls continued where they left off just a week ago in Melbourne where they won 16 gold medals in a dominant performance at the 18th Commonwealth Games.

Schipper added the short course 200m butterfly crown to her growing list of titles to snatch Australia’s first gold medal of the five-day meet. Then later backed up for the 4x200m freestyle relay and a second gold. 

In a thrilling finale to the evening the Australian team of Bronte Barratt, Shayne Reese, Schipper and Lenton came from behind to sink the USA and China in 7:46.96 - the second fastest time in history – just 0.66 outside China’s 2002 world mark.

In the closest finish of the night the Aussie girls won by 0.11 from China with the USA third.

Lenton clocked one of the fastest relay splits in history – 1:53.78 in a sensational anchor leg following Barratt’s 1:57.30, Schipper’s 1:56.88 and Reese’s 1:59.00.

Schipper started proceedings in fine style for the Telstra Dolphins Australian Team with the 19-year-old under world record pace after the first 100 metres.

Even though she faded in the closing strokes the triple Commonwealth Games champion and dual World Champion from Montreal broke Petria Thomas’ championship record.

Schipper, coached by the wiley Ken Wood at Redcliffe, north of Brisbane, stopped the clock at 2:05.11 – 0.65 inside Thomas’ time set in Moscow in 2002. She becomes the third Australian to win the coveted 200m fly title following Susie O’Neill (1995) and Thomas.

The brilliant Schipper proved too strong for the fast finishing Italian Francesca Segat (2:05.91), with China’s world record holder Yang Yu third in 2:07.65.

In semi-final action Australian pair, world record holder Jade Edmistone and defending champion Brooke Hanson qualified first and second for the final in 30.23 and 30.25 respectively.

Earlier in the evening Hanson carried the flag for Australia in the Opening Ceremony in the Qi Zhong Stadium.

Australia’s premier backstroker Matt Welsh is also the fastest qualifier for the 100m backstroke final, clocking 51.43 in an impressive showing.

Commonwealth Games silver medallist over 200m breaststroke and defending silver medallist, Brenton Rickard has qualified fourth for the final of the 100m breaststroke, clocking 59.28.

Kingscliff’s Tayliah Zimmer had to wait for officials to adjust the timing before being declared the winner of the first semi-final in the 100m backstroke in 59.19, the third fastest qualifier behind Germany’s Janine Pietsch who set a new championship record of 58.31.

Canberra based veteran Adam Pine, swimming in his sixth FINA World Championship meet, is the second fastest qualifier in the men’s 100m butterfly, clocking 51.99, finishing second behind Brazil’s Kaio Almeida (51.10).

Hanson Sports Media.