RED HOT FFROST LEADS THE WAY IN 200M FREESTYLE

Sydney, March 19: Olympic bronze medallist Nicholas Ffrost (Southport Olympic, QLD) led the way in the men's 200m freestyle this morning, winning his heat in 1.47.39 ahead a host of contenders chasing spots on the FINA World Championship team bound for Rome.

Joining Ffrost in the final will be newly crowned 400m freestyle champion Robert Hurley (Wests Illawarra Aquatic, NSW - 1.48.46), Olympians Kirk Palmer (Barker Aquatic, NSW - 1.48.55), Kenrick Monk (St Peters Western, QLD - 1.48.75) and dual Olympian Patrick Murphy (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC - 1.48.78).

A host of finals action will also see:

• Commonwealth record holder Marieke Guehrer (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) take on Libby Trickett (SOPAC, NSW) in the women's 50m butterfly;
• Tarnee White (Chander, QLD) and world record holder Jade Richards (formerly Edmistone) from Chandler, QLD and young gun Leiston Pickett (Southport, QLD) in the women's 50m breaststroke while;
• Ashley Delaney (Nunawading, VIC) will take on Olympic team mate Hayden Stoeckel (Norwood, SA) in the men's 50m backstroke

Semi-final action on night two will feaure Olympic bronze medallist and former world record holder in the event Geoff Huegill (NSWIS, NSW).

Huegill qualified fourth fastest in 23.86 behind Matthew Targett (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC - 23.56), Matt Jaukovic (Sydney University, NSW - 23.82), and Olympian Andrew Lauterstein (SOPAC, NSW - 23.84).

World record holder Libby Trickett (SOPAC, NSW) looked in control in her heat of the women's 100m freestyle to be the fastest qualifier for tonight's semi-finals with a time of 54.04.

Fellow Olympian Sally Foster (Central Aquatic, WA), Olympian Shayne Reese (Nunawading, VIC), new 50m butterfly Australian record holder Marieke Guehrer (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC), dual Olympian Felicity Galvez (SOPAC, NSW), and Merindah Dingjan (Southside Wesley, WA) will join Trickett in semi-final action.

Olympic bronze medallist Cate Campbell (Indooroopilly, QLD) just scraped in with a time of 56.47 and will be hoping for a faster performance tonight to secure a place in the final tomorrow.

Beijing Olympian Belinda Hocking (Albury, NSW), was fastest through the heats of the women's 100m backstroke, breaking the minute barrier with a time of 59.95.

Hocking will be joined by the likes of Olympic finalist and Australian record holder Emily Seebohm (Brothers, QLD - 1.01.55), Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sophie Edington (Unattached, QLD - 1.02.44), and newly crowned 200m freestyle champion Meagen Nay (St Peters Western, QLD - 1.02.46) in tonight's semi-finals.

Olympian Christian Sprenger (Commercial, QLD) recorded the fastest time in the men's 100m breaststroke heats with a time of 1.00.47, with tonight's semi-final field also including Australian record holder and Olympic silver medallist Brenton Rickard (Brothers, QLD - 1.01.91), Craig Calder (Albury, NSW - 1.03.18) and Karl Wurzer (The Hobart Aquatic Club, TAS - 1.03.30).

The men's and women's 50m backstroke Multi-disability finals will feature Sean Russo (Revesby Workers, NSW), rising star Michael Auprince (Revesby Workers, NSW), Paralympian Ellie Cole (Kings, VIC) and Teneal Houghton (Revesby Workers, NSW).

In the 200m IM Multi-disability finals, watch out for Paralympian Prue Watt (Nunawading, VIC), Kayla Clarke (Woogaroo, QLD), Jeremy Tidy (Nunawading, VIC) and Paralympic superstar Matthew Cowdrey (Norwood, SA).