New Delhi:
After some confusion, Emily Seebohm of Australia is off to a good start in her quest for eight gold medals in the Commonwealth Games pool, qualifying for her first two finals from morning heats.
Seebohm, who is attempting to follow American Michael Phelps' feat of eight golds at a meet set at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was the fastest qualifier in the 50-meter butterfly and was third-fastest in the 200 individual medley behind teammate Alicia Coutts and Hanna Miley of Scotland.
There was some drama, however, when Seebohm was first listed as being disqualified in the 200 IM for an illegal turn.
But organizers blamed a "typo" for the mistake, saying Seebohm had advanced to the final and it was another swimmer who should have been disqualified.
Seebohm's finals will be held later Monday, two of five gold medals to be awarded Monday at the Dr. S. P Mukherjee Aquatics Complex.
Formerly a 100-meter backstroker, the 18-year-old Seebohm will compete in six individual swims _ the 50-, 100- and 200-meter backstroke, 100 freestyle, 50 butterfly and 200 medley, plus likely the freestyle and medley relays.
"It's been very busy, like it will everyday," Seebohm said. "The 50 butterfly was just to get rid of the nerves. But the 200 IM was the main focus this morning and I was happy with how it all turned out. I wanted to cruise as much as I could. I'm not tired yet, so it's all good."
England's Rebecca Adlington, who won the 400 and 800 freestyle gold medals at Beijing and is the 800-meter world record holder, qualified sixth-fastest in the 200-meter freestyle, not one of her specialties.
Adlington will be in the pool just about every day. She is also scheduled to compete in the 400 and 800 freestyle and in the 4x200 freestyle relay.
The English swimmer says she wasn't helped by an early start.
"It's nothing like I've ever done before _ we had to get up before 4 a.m. to leave the village in time," she said. "It was all crazy."
"I'm happy to have made the final. I'll take it."
Caitlin McClatchey of Scotland, the 200-meter freestyle champion from Melbourne in 2006, didn't get that far. The Commonwealth record holder with a time of 1 minute, 58.25 seconds from Melbourne, McClatchey was 17th Monday.
"I'm really disappointed," she said. "I've had a very inconsistent training program, fitness has been a bit of a problem because I've had a bit of a chest infection. I've lost a little bit of confidence in myself."
Moss Burmester of New Zealand was another 2006 champion not to qualify, finishing ninth-fastest in the heats of the 200-meter butterfly.
Australian Nick D'Arcy's hard-luck story continued. D'Arcy, who was not allowed to compete for Australia at the Beijing Olympics after being convicted of assault in a barroom brawl with a former swimmer, was ninth-fastest in the men's 200 butterfly Monday and failed to advance.
"It's pretty tough," D'Arcy said. "I didn't go as well as I wanted. It's a big international event so it hurts."
D'Arcy's coach Brian Stehr said his swimmer was "a shadow of his former self."
"I really don't know what the problem was, but it's obviously another setback for Nick," Stehr said.