Great Britain won their first medal of the world swimming championships when the women's 4 x 100m freestyle relay team tied for silver.

Germany took the gold medal but Britain tied with the US for second after a storming last 50m from Karen Pickering, who began the final leg in fourth place.

The British quartet - Alison Sheppard, Melanie Marshall and Rosalind Brett and Pickering - registered a time of 3.40.80.

Meanwhile Roman Sloudnov set a new world record in the semi-final of the men's 100m breaststroke at the championships in Fukuoka in Japan.

The 21-year-old Russian clocked a time of 59.94 seconds to beat his own record, which he set at the Russian trials last month.

His time then of 59.97seconds meant that Sloudnov, the Olympic bronze medallist, was the first breaststroker ever to break one minute.

In Fukuoka, the Russian came home ahead of arch-rival and former record holder Ed Moses but the American also qualified for the final.

Britain's Darren Mew finished third in his semi-final, slicing 0.05 seconds off his personal best.

The University of Bath swimmer, who qualified sixth fastest for Tuesday's final, clocked 1:00.40, just 0.14 seconds off Nick Gillingham's nine-year-old British record.