FINA 2009 World Championships

World champion swimmer Liam Tancock greeted hundreds of fans and showed off his gold medal as he made his way through Exeter city centre on an open-top bus to the Guildhall where he was welcomed by the Lord Mayor of Exeter, Councillor John Winterbottom, for a civic reception. Click to view video. Cllr Winterbottom said: "It's wonderful to see so many people welcoming home our world champion. We are delighted to welcome Liam back to his home city.

"His road to success started many years ago when he joined the Exeter City Swimming Club and his potential was spotted. We hope that Liam returns to Exeter from London in 2012 as the 100m backstroke champion and Olympic champion."

The 24-year-old won gold in the 50m backstroke at the FINA World Swimming Championships in Rome - breaking his own world record in the process.

The British Gas swimming team have finished their most successful World Championships ever as runners up to the USA and Australia in the overall points table.

The highlights for the British Team in the pool included two gold medals. Gemma Spofforth claimed gold in the 100m Backstroke in a new World Record time while Liam Tancock also set new world figures on his way to securing the Men’s 50m Backstroke title. Jo Jackson also performed well securing two silver medals in the Women’s 400m and 800m Freestyle.

Liam Tancock was crowned World Champion after lowering his world record for the second time in the 50m Backstroke as he helped to guide the British Gas swimming team to an impressive sixth place in the medal table.

Tancock, who won bronze in the 50m Backstroke in 2007, went into the final as the fastest athlete after breaking the world record last night. He took the record to 24.08 as he impressed on his way to winning his semi-final.

The Olympic finalist had an explosive start in the final and powered through the pool to take the gold medal in a new world record time of 24.04.

The British Gas swimming team had a good start to the final day of competition after breaking two more British records as the athletes fought to seal their places in the finals.

Thomas Haffield qualified for the final of the men’s 400m Individual Medley after knocking a second off his own British record to begin the final day in the pool for the British Gas swimming team. Haffield swam a well timed race as he stayed within contention through the Butterfly and Backstroke leg but it was his Breaststroke leg that pulled him up through the field. He swam an impressive Breaststroke leg as he almost overtook America’s Scott Tyler Clary, who took the lead early on, and it was down to the Freestyle to see who took the victory. Clary touched just ahead of the British Gas swimmer as Haffield finished in 4:11.32 to take second place in his heat and qualify in fifth place for the final.

Liam Tancock broke the 50m backstroke world record as he qualified as the fastest athlete for the final after an excellent swim in the first semi-final.

The former world record holder, Tancock, who won the bronze medal in the 50m Backstroke at the 2007 World Championships, showed his power through the water as he stormed home to knock over 0.30 seconds off the world record. The new world record holder touched home in a time of 24.08 almost 0.20 seconds ahead of the next fastest athlete.

World silver medallist Fran Halsall broke her own British record on her way to qualifying for the semi-finals of the women’s 50m Freestyle. The British Gas swimmer Halsall, who swam under 53 seconds in the 100m Freestyle for the first time on Day 6, looked confident on the blocks as she began the race.

At the 25m point she was in a strong position and went on to lower her British record as she touched in a time of 24.47. She qualified as the sixth fastest athlete for the semi-finals.

British Gas swimmer Fran Halsall impressed on her way to winning the silver medal in the women’s 100m Freestyle final as she swam under 53 seconds for the first time in her career.

The Olympian got a good start and turned in third place at the 50m mark behind fastest qualifier Libby Trickett (Australia) and 2008 Olympic champion, Britta Steffen (Germany).

Steffen, who held the world record going into the final after a 52.22 effort in the first leg of the German 4x100m free relay on Day 1, lay in second place behind Trickett at the turn but it was Halsall that had the best finish. The British record holder stormed through the final 50m as she over took Olympic medallist Trickett to win the silver medal in a new British record time of 52.87.

The British Gas Swimming team lowered two British record after putting in a strong performance in the heats on day six of the swimming programme at the FINA World Championships.

The men’s 4x200m Freestyle relay team swam just outside of the British record as they secured qualification to the evening final. The British Gas team, which featured Robbie Renwick, Andrew Hunter, David Davies and David Carry, put in an impressive performance as they finished second in their heat with a time of 7:06.11.

Renwick swam the fastest leg for the team and set a new British 200m Freestyle record time of 1:46.11 as he put the team in an excellent position as Hunter took over the race. The rest of the race saw Hunter, Davies and Carry put in strong performances as they ensured their place in the final.

The British Gas women’s 4x200m Freestyle relay team secured the bronze medal after knocking another four seconds off the European record they set in the heats.

The final relay team, which featured Jo Jackson, Jazmin Carlin, Caitlin McClatchey and Rebecca Adlington, showed their strength as they performed impressively to take the bronze medal.

The Chinese and American team took the race out quickly from the start and Jackson swam a good leg and handed the race over to Carlin in a time of 1:55.98. Eighteen-year-old Carlin, who swam the fastest time of the team in the heats, showed her potential again in the final as she swam to a time of 1:56.78 and put the team into second place. The third leg saw McClatchey come up against World 200m Individual Medley champion Ariana Kukors and she put in a new personal best time of 1:56.42.

Double Olympic champion Adlington took the anchor leg for the team. The Chinese and American teams were turning within the world record and Adlington kept her stroke rate high to ensure she was close to them. Adlington fought off Federica Pellegrini's challenge to seal the bronze medal and the new European record after touching in a time of 7:45.51. The Italian did everything she could to give her team a fourth place finish, closing the gap from eighth at 600m, by swimming the fastest 200m of all finalists (1:53.45).

The British Gas swimming team enjoyed another successful morning in the pool as the women’s 4x200m Freestyle relay team lowered the European record on their way to qualifying for this evening’s final.

The women’s 4x200m Freestyle relay, which featured Caitlin McClatchey, Jazmin Carlin, Hannah Miley and Rebecca Adlington, showed their strength as they knocked almost a second off the European record and took the Championship record after they finished in a time of 7:49.04.