MANCHESTER – Briton Liam Tancock perfomance in the 100 metres backstroke highlited the second day of the world championships on a short-course here in Manchester.

The 23-year-old student of the Loughborough University produced a time of 50.14 and betters the previous mark of 50.58 set by Germany’s Thomas Rupprath in Melbourne on December 8, 2002.

American champion Jessica Hardy won the 50 metres breaststroke in a time of 29.59 and betters the previous mark of 29.90 set by Australian Jade Edmistone [today 5th in 30.39] in Brisbane, September 24, 2004.

In the women’s 100 metres backstroke, Ukraine’s Kateryna Zubkova set a European record in winning the silver medal in 57.15.

The former record of 57.34 was held by Laure Manaudou of France, after she won gold ad the European championships in Debrecen on December 14, 2007.

Britain’s Rebecca Adlington won gold in the women’s 800 metres freestyle swimming the second-fastest time of ever and set a new European record of 8:08.25 [the world record holder is American Kate Ziegler in 8:08.00].

The previous European record of 8:011.25 was set by Laure Manaudou to win the 2005 Europeans in Trieste on December 9th.

Finally, the British quartet of Robin Renwick, David Carry, Andrew hunter and Ross Davenport swum home in the men's 800 metres freestyle relay in 6:56.52 to beat the European mark of 6:59.08 set by Italy at the world short-course championships in Shanghai on April 6, 2006.

The United States won two more gold medals and are on top of the medal tally:

USA 4 2 -, AUS 2 5 1, GBR 2 4 1, ZIM 2 - -, UKR 1 1 1, NED 1 1 -, SLO 1 - -, RSA – 1 -, ESP - - 2, ITA - - 2, RUS - - 2, CRO - - 1, GRE - - 1, SWE - - 1.

NOTE: two silver and no gold medals were awarded in the women’s 50 metres breaststroke.