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MANCHESTER, England, April 9. RUSSIA's Yuliya Efimova set the tone in the first semifinal round of the women's 50 breast at the FINA World Short Course Championships held in Manchester.
Efimova, who already owned the national record with a 30.29 from the 2007 Berlin World Cup stop, topped qualifying with a 30.19.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's Zoe Baker lowered her national record of 30.37 set last November with a second-place 30.27 during semis tonight. Defending champion and world-record holder Jade Edmistone of Australia placed third in 30.40.
Great Britain's Kate Haywood (30.45), Jessica Hardy of the U.S. (30.58), Australia's Sarah Katsoulis (30.71), Austria's Mirna Jukic (30.81) and the Netherlands' Joliin Van Valkengoed (30.93) make up the rest of the championship heat.
Van Valkengoed's time also set the Netherlands' national record previously held by Moniek Nijhuis with a 31.23 in 2003.