Duke, the Paralympic champion, opened the session with gold and a world record in the SB6 100 metres breaststroke. The 20-year-old, who was out of the water following a kidney transplant at the start of the year, was on form to knock more than a second off the previous record held by American Travis Mohr.

 

Duke touched in 1min 27.04sec ahead of Mohr who took second spot in 1:30.17.

 

"I'm so pleased to get that record," said Duke. "I had a great swim this morning and I knew I was on for it this evening if things went to plan. Since my operation in February I've increased the amount of training I'm doing and it's been going really well.

 

"I was looking out for Travis and he was quite close on the second length but I managed to pull away on the last 25m and take his record."

 

In the women's event, Swim Swansea team mate Liz Johnson was also on peak form. Turning 21 years old yesterday she had a second reason to celebrate when she swam to victory in the pool. Johnson touched five seconds ahead of her closest rival in 1:40.83.

 

"That was my first major final so I'm delighted to win gold," she said. "I first broke the record this time last year so it's obviously a good time to race for me.

 

"I've had my most consistent period of training ever in the run-up to this event, which I've fitted around my University Finals.

 

"I've got to thank my coach Billy Pye and the staff in the university business department who have been brilliant and rearranged things for me so I can continue to train throughout my course, and also my boyfriend Jody who has written my gym programme."

 

Sascha Kindred defended his title in the SB7 100m breaststroke and marked his achievement with Britain's third world record of the evening. Kindred is reaping the benefits of a move to Leominster swimming club earlier this year and shaved his previous best to 1:22.77.

 

"I knew from the heat that I had the speed to do it tonight," he said. "I had a fast first 50m this morning and I knew from the training I've been doing that I would be able to hold on this evening. On the last 25m I thought 'this is my one opportunity to win gold' and I didn't give up.

 

"My current form is down to my coach Emma Patrick who took me on again at the start of the year and has revitalised my swimming career.

 

"I'm nearly 29 and I should be past it, but I'm still getting quicker. It just goes to show that if you're prepared to put the work in there's always room for improvement."

 

Danielle Watts picked up her second gold medal of the meet and thanked the crowd for motivating her to victory. The City of Oxford swimmer smashed her lifetime best by six seconds in the S1 200m freestyle to lower the world record to 6:03.90.

 

"I'm over the moon," she said. "I've been working really hard with Eddie McCluskey since we came out here and that's really made the difference. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have done that time today.

 

"The British supporters here are just amazing too. Their cheering spurred me on and they can take some of the credit for my world record."

 

In the S3 200m Freestyle Kenny Cairns boosted the gold count for Britain. Despite a chest restriction threatening his form, the Port Glasgow Otters swimmer swam his second fastest time ever to take gold in 3:54.28.

 

"I'm really happy to get that result and another gold for the team," he said. "From the entry times the Ukrainian was faster and so I knew he was the only athlete that could pose a threat. I was watching for him, but after the first length he wasn't to be seen and he never came back.

 

"The conditions here have been awful for my breathing and I was quite nervous about it at the start of the race, but I got into a rhythm and relaxed a bit. That's my second quickest time ever so I'm delighted to go that fast under the circumstances. I'll be up against most of these guys again in the 100m freestyle, so it's looking good for that event."

 

In the S5 200m freestyle Swansea's Anthony Stephens beat Paralympic Champion Sebastian Rodriguez of Spain to take the title in 2:46.19. Stephens put in a powerful final length to finish two seconds clear of his rival who touched in 2:48.45.

 

"That was awesome," said Stephens. "I'm a bit upset not to do a PB but World Champion is World Champion. I so wanted to beat Sebastian - he's the best S5 around - and I did.

 

"Sebastian is a sprinter and he beat me in Athens with a surprise attack from the start, so I was expecting him to go out fast. I've got pace on the back end and I know if I can keep him in my sights I've got a chance. I was ready for him today and managed to keep with him and take him on the last 20m."

 

Britain's final gold of the session came courtesy of the women's 20-point 4x50m Freestyle team. The quartet of Jane Stidever (Leicester Penguins), Fran Williamson (Colchester Phoenix), Johnson and Natalie Jones (Colchester Phoenix) took the title in 3:14.53.

 

A further four silvers pushed Britain's medal total to 11 as more swimmers reaped rewards. Williamson reached the podium for the second time this week by securing another individual silver in the S3 200m Freestyle. The Colchester Phoenix beat Germany's Annke Conradi by one hundredth of a second to touch in a new British record time of 4:48.35.

 

"That hurt," said an exhausted Williamson. "I went in third and thought that would be it for the final so I'm really happy to get the silver. I wanted it but didn't think it would be possible."

 

Jim Anderson (Broxburn) also collected silver over 200m, finishing second in the S2 classification in 4:58.84. Russia's Dmitry Kokarev clinched the gold in 4:53.42.

 

"That was my second fastest swim ever," said Anderson. "I've not raced against the Russian before this meet and I'll need to watch out for him in the future."

 

European records tumbled in the 34-point Medley relays as both Britain's teams took silver. The boys brigade of David Hill (Kelly College), Callum Lawson (Nova Centurion), James Crisp (City of Sheffield) and David Roberts (Swim Swansea) romped home behind world record-breaking Australians for silver in 4:28.26 and the women's troupe of Kate Grey (Thornbury), Claire Cashmore (Kelly College), Rachael Latham (Horwich Leisure Centre) and Louise Watkin (Kelly College) bagged silver in 5:14.56.