Mary Descenza (USA), set a World s/c Championship record in the 200m butterfly at Manchester 2008, her 2:04.27 victory eclipsing the oldest US record on the books.

Mary T Meagher had held the US record at 2:05.65since 1981. 'That's what all the hard work was for - and Mary T too! Wow!', said a delighted Descenza, after pacing her race better than her rivals. Jemma Lowe of Britain raced inside world record pace at 50m and 100m - 27.45 and 59.05 - was still ahead of Descenza, by 0.27sec, with 50m to go, but then started to pay the price and lost a place on the podium in the closing 15 metres.

Descenza, clad in the new Tyr, turned fouth at half-way, the first of the pack beyond the minute mark. The silver went to Felicity Galvez (AUS), who emerged from a 2:04.90 effort to say 'at last, I get a medal all on my own', while the bronze went to Jessica Dickons, training partner of Lowe's in Stockton, in a British record of 2:05.09. The standard had stood to Lowe at 2:05.67 since morning heats. Lowe's final time, 2:05.89.

Descenza's splits: 28.71; 1:00.23; 1:31.89; 2:04.27. The championship mark had stood to absent Aussie champion Jessica Schipper, in 2:05.11, from 2006.

The 100m backstroke semis saw US-based Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) set a championship record of 57.99 to progress at the helm.

The 100m butterfly semis saw Australian Adam Pine, 32, set a championship record of 50.09. That'sa Commonwealth record inside the 50.71 of former teammate Geoff Huegill, from 2002. It also marks a personal improvement for Pine of 1.14sec, catapulting him from 22nd all-time to third best ever behind Ian Crocker (USA) and Milorad Cavic (SRB). Pine's previous best was clocked in 2000. Incredible. The sport is changing before our very eyes.