Commonwealth Games, Delhi, semi-finals, day 1

Men's 50m backstroke

Ashley Delaney led two teammates through to the final of the backstroke dash, his 25.04 up on the 25.27 and 25.39 efforts of Hayden Stoeckel and Daniel Arnamart. Next through was Florida-based Marco Loughran (WAL) in 25.43, with Daniel Bell (NZL)  0.01sec back, before world and defending champion champion Liam Tancock (ENG) progressed in 25.62. Tancock will have calculated that a place in the final was not that hard to come by his standards: 9th place came in at 26.56. The last two places in the final went to Gareth Kean (NZL) and Charles Francis (CAN).

Women's 50m buttefly

World champion Marieke Guehrer (AUS) stamped her authority on the 'fly dash with a Commonwealth Games record of 26.07, 0.35sec swifter than the 2006 effort of former teammate Danni Miatke  in Melbourne. Next through were Yolane Kukla (AUS), on 26.22, and Francesca Halsall (ENG) in 26.33, with Emily Seebohm, a 200m medley final round the corner, fourth through in 26.62. Katherine Savard (CAN), Jemma Lowe (WAL), Mackenzie Downing (CAN) and Ellen Gandy (ENG) completed the line-up for the final.

Women 50m breaststroke

Leiston Pickett, the 18-year-old from Australia, continued to threaten famous teammate Leisel Jones's bid to win four golds and so surpass the historic record total of 10 Commonwealth golds achieved by fellow Australians Susie O'Neill and Ian Thorpe. A 30.74 effort placed Pickett in lane 4 for the final. Kate Haywood (ENG) was next through in 31.22, Jones on 31.29, with England's second swimmer into the final, Achieng Ajulu-Bushell, the first black African woman to race for England, on 31.47. Sara Katsoulis (AUS), Annamay Pierse (CAN), Alla Atkinson (JAM) and Kathryn Johnstone (SCO) complete the final.