The performance-enhancing suits struck again: at the Australian Grand Prix in Canberra, Leisel Jones and Libby Trickett (nee Lenton)set respective world records of 1:03.72 in the 100 metres breaststroke (0.14sec off her own standard and inside the 1:04.22 that won the world s/c championships in Manchester this month in Jones' absence) and Trickett clocked 55.74 for the 100m butterfly (0.15sec off the mark set by compatriot Felicity Galvez at world s/c champs in Manchester this month, putting that event in context).

Mid-preparation, no tapering, no specific big moment in mind, just simple race practice - but world records none the less. Pre-February 2008/post-February 20078 is how we must all now view our sport.

Jones split 30.41. 'Mentally you can prepare yourself for anything,' Jones said through Swimming Australia. 'Morning finals can be difficult if you think of them that way but we have made ourselves aware that it is the morning finals and practised it to be that way. I think once you get to Beijing you are not going to need to know what time it is and I am making a comparison with it being just like a casino - you walk in and you don't know what time it is and when you walk out you still don't know what time it is and it doesn't matter. I'm just going to prepare to race the best way I can regardless of the time.'

Trickett added: 'We're starting to hone in on our strategies for Beijing and morning finals is a part of that. We are getting a bit of practice at it before the Olympics come around and we started with a plan, which we revised and adjusted and hopefully by the time the Olympics come around we'll be spot on. It's not a matter of mornings and nights, its heats and finals. If my mind is set for a heat it's going to be a heat swim performance, if my mind's set for a final you are going to get a finals performance.'