VALENCIA, Spain James Hickman and Stephen Parry set the pace in the men's 200 meters butterfly heats on Saturday, raising Britain's hopes of a first gold medal at the European Short-Course Swimming Championships.

Britain collected five silver medals and two bronzes in the first two days of the four-day championships but gold eluded them.

Hickman, the reigning short-course world and European champion, clocked the fastest 200 butterfly heat time of one minute 56.59 seconds, touching ahead of Parry, who finished in 1:57.23.

Russia's Anatoly Polyakov, bronze medalist behind Hickman at the World Short-Course Championships in Athens in March, posed a potential threat to the Britons, winning his heat in 1:57.54, the third-fastest time overall.

Further danger lurked in the form of Germany's Thomas Rupprath, who scored an upset victory over Swedish Olympic champion Lars Frolander in Friday's 100 meters butterfly final and swam 1:57.62 in the 200 heats.

Rebecca Cooke, silver medalist in the women's 800 meters freestyle on Friday, offered further medal hopes for Britain after setting the second-fastest time in Saturday's 400 meters freestyle heats.

Cooke finished in 4:12.26 behind 15-year-old Russian newcomer Irina Ufimtseva, who won the heat in 4:10.60.

(Reuter)