FUKUOKA, Japan Russian breaststroker Roman Sludnov gatecrashed Australia's pool party when he broke his own 100 meters world record at the world championships on Monday.

Sludnov sliced 0.03 seconds off his 24-day-old mark of 59.97 seconds when he won his semifinal in 59.94 after the Australians had threatened to steal the limelight again following Ian Thorpe's heroics the previous night, Reuters reported.

The familiar strains of advance Australia fair were already resounding around the Marine Messe Fukuoka when Petria Thomas won the women's 200 meters butterfly final and Matt Welsh captured the 100 backstroke to give Australia four golds in two days.

Australia also collected a silver when Leisel Jones finished second to China's Luo Xuejuan in the women's 100 meters breaststroke final.

Germany also won two golds on Monday when Hannah Stockbaurer led most of the way to win the women's 800 meters title and the women's relay team won the 4x100 freestyle crown.

Swimming's most powerful country, the United States, had to be content with just one gold medal to Anthony Ervin in the men's 50 meters freestyle sprint.