Australians dominate first day of action at Mare Nostrum in Barcelona; Breaststroke world record comes under fire in 2:20.58 - just 0.04sec shy of the mark

Wisdom has prevailed in Japan: the Federation there has torn up its contracts (sure they wouldn't wish to use that language but that's what it amounts to) with three suit makers to allow its swimmers to wear whatever they wish when pursuing Olympic glory

British Swimming has shortlisted six city 50m facilities in line to form part of a nationwide network of Intensive Training Centres as recommended by Bill Sweetenham long before he left his post as Performance Director to Britain in 2007

American threatens her own world record to fall just 0.06sec shy with 59.27 100m back; Canadian 1,500m ace leads Mellouli and Jensen in 14:50

Will the Japanese federation now change its mind on suits? Perhaps a look back in history will convince them: first nation to use oxygen, first to wear silk suits, first to win by exploiting loopholes on breaststroke and backstroke by racing underwater...

Sette Colli: Magnini takes outs Bernard, Sullivan and Nystrand; Pellegrini and Jackson set national records in 200 free; Colbertaldo clocks 14:50 Italian record in 1,500; Rogan goes 1:57.50 200 back; Rice and Mile swim 2:11, 2:12 200 medley

Highlights from the US Grand Prix Meets at Omaha and Charlotte, and the Janet Evans Intl in Los Angeles: Phelps, 53.42 100m back; Mellouli and Jensen on 3:44 in 400m free; Lochte on 3:49 elsewhere; Smit 1:57.34 0.03sec up on Coughlin 200 free

Highlights from meets in Rome, Eindhoven and Moscow

The country that brought us Rodolfo Falcon and Neisser Bent now relies on wild-card development tickets to get its swimmers to the Games

A round of meets in the US: Janet Evans INTL and grand prix events in Charlotte and Omaha; Phelps as fast as Thorpey's Athens 100 free bronze and inside his own 2004 winning time on 'fly

Highlights from a swim meet circuit that nevers sleeps: Jones 1:05.34; Pellegrini, 4:02.93; Colbertaldo, 3:45.20; Lowe, 58.28; Kitajima, 59.44

The Dutch nationals get underway in Eindhoven today, a first test of the summer for the Olympic 100m free champion, and a new start for Ireland's Andrew Bree

In Moscow, Danila Izotov, 16, shaved 0.05sec off the 1992 record that had stood to double Olympic champion Evgeny Sadovyi since the Barcelona Games

The Speedo LZR Racer advantage may be at an end: FINA today approved the Arena Powerskin R-Evolution+. Revamped adidas and Mizuno also approved. The level playing field may be back in place in a suit-enhanced future in Beijing. Times will tell

In the latest issue of SwimNews Magazine: Don Talbot talks to Cecil Colwin; Comprehensive coverage of the Canadian Olympic trials; World short-course championships; Are you suited for success?; The lowdown on Lochte and Hardy; Olympic preview and history

The last-chance saloon for manufacturers keen to catch-up with Speedo in the new era of performance-enhancing polyurethane and compression technology is open today in Lausanne

The German Olympic team is preparing to race at the Monaco round of the Mare Nostrum Tour - as the series gets underway this weekend - before embarking on a month of training camps that lead to an orientation and testing weekend before the journey East

The Irish international's explanation after an adverse doping-test finding has been accepted: he took a cold remedy bought in the USA

Would Nick D'Arcy, the Aussie swimmer accused of being an aggressor on dry land, be welcome in Olympic waters? The swimmer accused of GBH is fighting for a place among the Dolphins but the case raises issues of jurisprudence and responsibility at CAS

European 200m butterfly champion Yiannis Drymonakos has tested positive for a steroid, the Greek Swimming Federation (KOE) has revealed: Skvortsov, Lebon, Marin and Jukic to be elevated on podium in Eindhoven and Manchester is results confirmed