MARIEKE SETS UP ROMAN SHOWDOWN WITH ALSHAMMAR

SYDNEY, March 18: Melbourne Vicentre's Marieke Guehrer, who went to the 2004 Olympics as a backstroker, provided the perfect opening to night two at the Telstra Australian Swimming Championships in what was to become a record breaking feast at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

The world short course record holder smashed her own Commonwealth and Australian record to take gold in the women's 50m butterfly in a time of 25.60 which elevates her to the third fastest ever in the event.

Guehrer, 23, went out hard and was chasing the world record of Sweden's Therese Alshammar all the way, and will be looking to sneak under it at the FINA World Championships in Rome.

"It's fantastic, it hasn't really sunk in yet," said Guehrer, who acknowledged she was a different swimmer than last year.

"I think I'm a more mature person. I'm swimming now because I want to, it's just for me, it's not because I've always done it, and not because I think I should be at a certain stage. I'm not in a rush to achieve everything."

Silver went to a fast finishing Libby Trickett (SOPAC, NSW), the Olympic champion over the 100m distance touching in the eighth fastest time in history to grab an individual swim alongside Guehrer.

Olympian Jessicah Schipper (Commercial, QLD) finished third to collect the bronze in 26.21.

This is how the world's all-time top 10 now looks:

1.   Therese Alshammar (Sweden) 25.46

2.   Anna-Karin Kammerling (Sweden) 25.57

3.   Marieke Guehrer (Australia) 25.60

4.   Marlene Veldhuis (Netherlands) 25.62

5.   Inge De Bruijn (Netherlands) 25.64

6.   Hinkelien Schreuder (Netherlands) 26.00

6. Jenny Thompson (USA) 26.00

8. Inge Dekker (Netherlands) 26.01

9. Libby Trickett (Australia) 26.02

10. Chantal Groot (Netherlands) 26.03

It didn't take long for another Australian record to tumble, with Ashley Delaney (Nunawading, VIC) breaking his own mark in the men's 50m backstroke, stopping the clock in 24.81 to take the national title and book his ticket to Rome.

DELANEY THE FIFTH FASTEST ALL-TIME

Olympian Delaney held off the challenge from Ben Treffers (Burley Griffin, NSW) who touched in 25.15, just missing the A-qualifying time for the World championship team.

Hayden Stoeckel (Norwood, SA), the Olympic bronze medallist in the 100m backstroke, won the bronze in 25.36.

Delaney's time was the fifth fastest all-time in history, only bettered by Randall Bal (USA) 24.33; Liam Tancock (Great Britain) 24.47; Benedict Hesen (USA) 24.70 and Thomas Rupprath (Germany) 24.80.

LAUTERSTEIN AND TARGETT ALSO IN TOP TEN

The record breaking spree continued in the second semi-final of the men's 50m butterfly thanks to Olympic 100m butterfly bronze medallist Andrew Lauterstein (SOPAC, NSW), who charged home to touch in a new Australian record of 23.30 - making him the fifth fastest all-time.

"My start was good, my reaction time was good but my finish wasn't so great," Lauterstein said.

"I felt really good in the warm-up so the time wasn't a complete surprise. I'm still focusing more on the 100 so this means good signs for that.

"Training how I want to be racing four times a week has made this easy. I can get up behind the block and know that I can dive in and do the right thing. This is the easy part for me, training is where I get nervous. Racing is the fun part."

His Beijing team mate Matthew Targett (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) finished just 0.01 secs behind Lauterstein in 23.31 (sixth fastest time in history) and will be challenging all the way in tomorrow night's final.

The all-time top six in the world is now: Roland Schoeman (RSA) 22.96, Milorad Cavic (Serbia) 23.11, Ian Crocker (USA) 23.12 , Rafael Munoz (ESP) 23.26, Lauterstein (AUS) 23.30 and Targett (AUS) 23.31.

Earlier in the first semi-final it was Sydney University's Matt Jaukovic who set the pace with a time of 23.65, followed by dual Olympian Geoff Huegill (SOPAC, NSW), who touched in 24.14.

Huegill has lost over 40kg in his bid to return to competitive swimming.

"I was a bit shaky off the start, and entry to the water was a bit ordinary," admitted Huegill.

"I still rate my chances as pretty good, and am definitely looking to be standing on the podium. I'm just taking it race by race and things are coming along pretty well at the moment."

Huegill confirmed his intention to return to competition in November last year and said he was elated with his progress.

"The emotions and the feeling I've got today has just been amazing, it's so worth all of the early starts and the daily grind to get back to this position. Just getting to this point has been unreal. From here on in everything's just going to be the icing on the cake."

MURPHY WINS FIRST NATIONAL TITLE

Dual Olympian Patrick Murphy (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC) overcame adversity to win his first national title "at the ripe old age of 25" in the men's 200m freestyle, going out hard and leading all the way to touch in 1.46.85.

Murphy only narrowly avoided shoulder surgery in recent months after experiencing an issue last November which kept him out of competition late last year.

"I was having a lot of A/C joint problems and was tentatively booked in for an operation but had cortisone to settle it down and that got me through another period and I've just had to have another one recently," Murphy said.

"Decisions will come after this as to whether I get something done or whether we leave it until after Worlds. Everyone has their ups and downs and that's just something you have to deal with."

Murphy held off a tough challenge over the final 50m from fellow Olympian Kenrick Monk (St Peters Western, QLD), who took silver and booked an individual swim in Rome with a 1.47.27.

Bronze went to rising star and Junior Pan Pac relay gold medallist Tommaso D'Orsogna (West Coast, WA) in 1.48.10.

Guehrer backed up from her record breaking swim in the 50m butterfly to take out the first semi-final of the women's 100m freestyle semi-final in 54.46, finishing ahead of Olympic breaststroker Sally Foster (Central Aquatic, WA) who touched in 54.56.

But it was world record holder Trickett (SOPAC, NSW), also backing up, who qualified fastest for tomorrow night's final of the blue ribband event by winning semi-final number two in a sizzling 53.89.

Joining Trickett, Guehrer and Foster in the final and vying for positions on the World Championship team will be dual Olympian Felicity Galvez (54.99), 200m freestyle champion and Olympic backstroker Meagen Nay (55.61) and Olympian Shayne Reese (55.25).

KATSOULIS ABREAST OF THE FIELD IN 50M

World short course silver medallist Sarah Katsoulis (Nunawading, VIC) broke through to win her first national title in the women's 50m breaststroke, hitting the wall in a new PB time of 30.65, the fourth fastest time ever by an Australian.

"That's a huge PB, so I'm really happy," said the Rome-bound Katsoulis. "I'm really excited."

Dual Olympian and defending champion Tarnee White (Chandler, QLD) took silver in 30.75, and bronze went to 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival 100m champion Leiston Pickett (Southport Olympic, QLD).

SPRENGER V RICKARD IN 100M BREASTSTROKE FINAL

Olympian Christian Sprenger (Commercial, QLD) qualified fastest for tomorrow night's final of the men's 100m breaststroke with a slick swim of 1.00.37.

Sprenger has not taken a break since Beijing, contesting several World Cup meets after the Games, and will be hoping to break the magic minute barrier for the first time in the final.

Hot on Sprenger's heels will be fellow Olympian and Australian record holder Brenton Rickard (Brothers, QLD - 1.02.03), Hobart's Karl Wurzer (The Hobart Aquatic Centre, TAS - 1.03.09) and Craig Calder (Albury, NSW - 1.03.12), all hoping to qualify for the World championship team.

Olympic finalist Belinda Hocking led the way in the semi-finals of the women's 100m backstroke, qualifying fastest for tomorrow night's final with a time of 1.00.42, only just shading her two nearest rivals.

Fellow Olympians Sophie Edington (Unattached, QLD) and Emily Seebohm (Brothers, QLD) recorded times just one one-hundredth and three one-hundredths behind Hocking respectively, setting up a mouth-watering showdown tomorrow night.

Also in the mix in the final will be Olympian Nay (St Peters Western - 1.01.80), and Grace Loh (Melbourne Vicentre, VIC - 1.02.00).

Paralympic star Matthew Cowdrey (Norwood, SA) took gold in the men's 200m IM Multi-disability ahead of Jeremy Tidy (Nunawading, VIC), and bronze medallist Rick Pendleton (Bayside, NSW).

In the women's 200m IM Multi-disability it was Paralympian Prue Watt (Nunawading, VIC) who triumphed to take the national title, with Kayla Clarke (Woogaroo, QLD) winning silver and Teigan Van Roosmalen (Mingara Aquatic, NSW) the bronze.

Ellie Cole (Kings, VIC) won gold in the women's 50m backstroke Multi-disability, Teneal Houghton (Revesby Workers, NSW) took the silver, and Nerice Holland (Chandler, QLD) the bronze.

In the men's 50m backstroke Multi-disability Sean Russo (Revesby Workers, NSW) took out the gold medal ahead of club-mate Michael Auprince (Revesby Workers, NSW), with bronze won by Craig Morgan (Kinross Wolaroi, NSW).