Records for Coventry and two relays

Olympic gold medallist Kirsty Coventry led the way as three world records tumbled on the opening day of the world short-course swimming championships in Manchester on Wednesday.

Coventry broke the women's 400 metres individual medley short-course mark which had stood for six years and the US men and Dutch women brought the evening at the MEN Arena to a tumultuous conclusion, shattering a pair of relay records.

Zimbabwe's Coventry, Olympic 200 backstroke champion, clocked four minutes 26.52 seconds to beat the 4:27.83 set by Yana Klochkova of Ukraine in Paris on Jan. 19, 2002.

Coventry, coming out for the final barely 20 minutes after setting a championship record 57.99 in the 100 backstroke semis, led from start to finish, chased home by Britain's Hannah Miley. The latter clocked 4:27.27, also inside the old world mark.

The US quartet of Ryan Lochte, Bryan Lundquist, Nathan Adrian and Doug Van Wie swam home in the men's 100 freestyle relay in 3:08.44 to beat the 3:09.57 mark set by Sweden at the world short-course championships in Athens on March 16, 2000.

The Dutch hit the wall in 3:09.18 for the silver, also inside the old world record, but their women's 4x200 freestyle relay ensured the team would end the night on a golden note as no less than four quartets finished inside the old world mark.

Inge Dekker, Femke Heemskerk, Marleen Veldhuis and Ranomi Kromowidjojo clocked 7:38.90 to annihilate the 7:46.30 mark set by Russia at the world short-course championships in Moscow on April 3, 2002.

Britain came within an ace of beating the Dutch, Rebecca Adlington bringing the hosts home in 7:38.96, just 0.06 seconds adrift. Australia, anchored by Kylie Palmer in the fastest split of the evening, took bronze in 7:39.01 and the fourth-placed US were also inside the old world mark in 7:45.58.

Kenrick Monk and Kirk Palmer celebrated an Australian one-two in the opening final of the championships, leading all the way without a serious challenge in the men's 200 freestyle.

Monk touched first by 0.04 seconds in 1:43.46 to Palmer's 1:43.50.

Hardy sets new mark

Jessica Hardy of the US broke the women's 50 metres breaststroke world short course record yesterday.

Hardy clocked 29.58 seconds to beat the 29.90 set by Jade Edmistone of Australia in Brisbane in 2004.