New Delhi:
Kylie Palmer won the first Commonwealth Games swimming gold in New Delhi on Monday, powering her way to victory in the women's 200m freestyle and setting Australia on course to retain top spot in the pool.
The 20-year-old struck out after the second turn and touched home in 1:57.50 but the battle for the other podium positions went down to the wire, with Wales' Jaz Carlin and England's Rebecca Adlington winning silver and bronze.
The top six women all swam under 1:59, with the early race leader Genevieve Saumur from Canada missing out on bronze by four hundredths of a second.
Palmer, from Brisbane, went in to the four-length race as the fastest qualifier ahead of teammate Blair Evans.
"I am speechless," she said afterwards. "I really have nothing to say. It is an awesome feeling. You can't get any better than winning a gold medal.
"I am grateful to my teammates because it's very hard to make the Australian team."
Her win kickstarts Australia's attempt to replicate their success in Melbourne four years ago, when they won 53 medals, cementing their iron grip in the pool at the Commonwealth Games.
Palmer, who won gold in the 4x200m freestyle at the Beijing Olympics, was fourth in the recent Pan Pacifics and also goes in the 400m free in New Delhi.
Twenty-year-old Carlin from Swansea carried Wales' hopes of a medal but was slower than Adlington in the event this year. Adlington, the double Olympic 400m and 800m champion, was competing in her first 200m at international level.
Adlington said earlier she was just happy to be in the final after finishing seventh fastest overall and having to contend with getting up before 4:00 am to get to the venue because of high security in the Indian capital.
Commonwealth record holder Jo Jackson of England, who has been struggling with injury and asthma-related illness this year, came in fifth.
Scotland's Caitlin McClatchey -- the defending champion from Melbourne in 2006 -- crashed out in the heats, blaming illness and lack of fitness.