The Australian Swim Team had to wait until the final event of the night to open its medal account at the 2010 FINA World Short Course Championships in Dubai, with the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team taking silver in a new Australian record.

In a race that will be remembered as the first world record of 2010, the Chinese team of Qian Chen, Yi Tank, Jing Liu and Qianwei Zhu took almost three seconds off the previous mark of 7:38.90 set in Manchester in 2008, to hit the wall in 7:35.94.

In an equally impressive swim in the new swimsuit era of 2010, the Australian team of Blair Evans, Jade Neilsen, Kelly Stubbins and Kylie Palmer also dipped under the old world mark to come from behind and secure silver in 7:37.57.

Hitting the water in fourth place at the last change, Commonwealth Games 200m freestyle champion Palmer swam the fastest split of the race (1:52.42) to mow down the Americans and French for second spot on the podium in an ominous sign for her individual 200m later in the meet.

“I saw we were coming fourth and I was going to be next to Dana Vollmer and that pumped me up a bit and with the American’s you never underestimate them and I didn’t really expected to be able to pass Dana, but then to get the French girl as well was a bonus,” said Palmer.

“The French girl, Ophelle Etienne, actually trained with us for a few weeks so it was good to be able to pass her and for Kelly and I, we were actually third in Manchester last time so it was pretty cool to get second this time around.”

“To start the meet well always gives you confidence and that should really help with my 200m free on the final night of competition.”

In the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, the Australian team of James Magnussen, Matthew Abood, Kyle Richardson and Tommaso D’Orsogna shaved a further two seconds off the Australian record they set this morning, but had to settle for fifth overall in the final with France winning in a new Championship record time of 3:04.78.

In other events…

Men’s 200m Freestyle Final
Tomasso D'Orsogna went out hard in the final of the men’s 200m freestyle, turning at the 100m in second place only to fall off over the second half and finish in seventh. His time of 1:42.96 was a season best for 2010 while American Ryan Lochte took gold in a new Championship record time of 1:41.08.

Women’s 50m Breaststroke Semi Final
Leiston Pickett improved on her personal best time from this morning to qualify second fastest for tomorrow night’s final of the 50m breaststroke in 29.98. The Commonwealth champion over the long course, Pickett was out touched on the wall by Jin Zhao from China who was just 0.02 ahead in 29.96, while Sarah Katsoulis will swim from lane 8 in the final after time of 30.46.

Women’s 200m Butterfly Final
Leading the field out over the first 150m Felicity Galvez was unable to hold on in the 200m butterfly with Spain’s Mireia Belmonte Garcia taking gold in a Championship record time of 2:03.59 with Galvez finishing sixth in 2:04.98. In a good sign for her 50 and 100m fly later in the meet, the 25-year-old showed strong underwater skills in the front end of her race. “I haven’t really been training for the 200, but it’s a good sign for my 50 and 100 later in the meet to be able to go out that fast,” said Galvez.

Men’s 100m Breaststroke Semi Final
Brenton Rickard really had to earn his place in the final of the men’s 100m breaststroke after finishing equal eighth with China’s Shuai Wang during the semi finals in a time of 58.37.  Rickard and Wang held a swim off 90 minutes later with the Commonwealth champion over 200m taking the win and a spot in tomorrow night’s final in a time of 58.45.  The Gold Coast based Rickard will be chasing American Mihall Alexandrov who set a new Championship record time of 57.18 to secure lane 4 for the final.

Women’s 100m Backstroke Semi Final
Rachel Goh was Australia’s only competitor in the semi finals of the women’s 100m backstroke and qualified fifth for tomorrow night’s final in a time of 57.76.  Finishing fourth in the same event in Manchester in 2008, Goh will be keen for a podium finish tomorrow night, with China’s Ghang Gao the women to beat after a Championship record 56.58.

Men’s 100m Butterfly Semi Final
Both Geoff Huegill and Chris Wright have missed out on a start in the final of the men’s 100m butterfly with Huegill going slower than his heat time this morning, and Wright missing the final by less than 0.04 of a second. Wright hit the wall 51.02 while Huegill who had gone 50.93 this morning was disappointed with his 51.68, just 0.01 faster than his Commonwealth Games gold medal winning long course time from Delhi.

Swimming Australia