Birmingham (United Kingdom) (AFP) - World record holder Ariarne Titmus qualified comfortably for the women's 400m freestyle final at the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday as Australia seek to end the swimming competition in style.
The powerhouse nation have dominated events at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, winning 22 golds out of 43 on offer so far.
Olympic champion Titmus was third-quickest in qualifying for the 400m freestyle final in a time of 4min 08.25sec.
New Zealand's Erika Fairweather (4:07.27) was fastest, with 15-year-old Canadian Summer McIntosh second.
Titmus, who won the 200m and 400m freestyle at last year's Tokyo Olympics, is attempting to repeat that double in Birmingham.
McIntosh has been one of the stars in the pool at the Commonwealths, winning gold in the women's 200m and 400m individual medleys.
England's Olympic 200m freestyle champion Tom Dean, seeking his first gold in Birmingham after five silvers, topped the qualifying times for the men's 200m individual medley in Wednesday's morning session.
"I'd love to get the big G as well but at this point it's how many medals can I get and how many medals can England get," he said.
"A gold would be brilliant but I am chuffed with how it has gone so far."
Scotland's Duncan Scott, who beat his friend and rival Dean in the 200m freestyle final, is also in the mix.
Australia's Kaylee McKeown goes for her fourth gold of the Games in the women's 50m backstroke.
England's world champion Ben Proud bids for a second gold of the Games in the men's 50m freestyle, with the 1500m freestyle final also on the programme.
The swimming in Birmingham wraps up with the men's and women's 4x100m medleys.
