ATHENS - British teenager David Davies made the best possible start to his Olympic campaign when he broke his own British record to qualify fastest for the 1500m freestyle final, one of three national records for the British team on Friday.

The Welshman stamped his authority on the third heat and finished in 14:57.03, a new national record by almost a second.

The women’s 4x100 medley relay quartet of Sarah Price, Kirsty Balfour, Georgina Lee and Melanie Marshall were also in record-breaking form when they lowered the 2002 British standard to qualify fourth fastest for the final in 4:05.63, two-hundredths inside the record.

The men’s team of Gregor Tait, James Gibson, James Hickman and Matt Kidd followed suit just moments later. Their British record of 3:36.94  - 1.27 off the previous mark  - put them third fastest into Saturday’s final.

Davies joined the great Kieren Perkins of Australia in being the only swimmer in Olympic history to go under the 15-minute barrier in the 1500m freestyle heats.

”It felt really good this morning. I’m the last guy on the team to swim,” he said. “I got in there and I was really surprised at the time and to go under 15 minutes in the heats is amazing.

”That’s only been done once before. I’m relaxed about the final and very happy with the British record.”

Graeme Smith, an Olympic bronze medallist in Atlanta eight years ago, is also through to tomorrow’s finale after clocking 15:07.45. He was happy with his performance and said the race for the medals was “wide open”.

”I’m a little bit happier now and that’s better than I was looking for. That time was the best I’ve had this year in a heat swim. There are five to six guys in with a shout at the medals after Australian Grant Hackett and I hope to be one of them. It’s wide open.”

After waiting six days for her first race, British sprinter Alison Sheppard cruised through to tonight’s semi-finals of the 50m freestyle to take the eight fastest spot.

The 31-year-old Scot, who was Britain’s only female individual finalist in Sydney, got her fifth Olympic Games underway this morning with a creditable heat time of 25.36 to advance to the next stage.

In a slow field, where only reigning champion Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands broke the 25-second barrier, Sheppard finished third in her heat.

”It’s been a long wait but I’m glad to get in and blow away the cobwebs,” said Sheppard, who two years ago joined David Wilkie in becoming the only Scottish swimmers to win Commonwealth titles.

”Hopefully I’ll be at my best and pull one out of the bag. I want better than last time.”

-ENDS-

■ The 2004 Olympic Games take place in Athens, Greece, between August 13 and 29. Swimming runs from August 14 to 21.

For further details contact Martin Petty, British Swimming Communications Officer in the UK on 01509 632237, 07968 411689 or email martin.petty@swimming.org

Or contact Dave Richards, Team GB Swimming Press Attaché in Athens, on +44 77899 26136 or email david.richards@swimming.org