Lani Pallister has produced an Australian record time at the world short course championships in Budapest, but it was not enough to successfully defend her 400m freestyle title.
The Sydneysider added silver to the gold she won in Melbourne two years ago, but still finished more than a length behind Canadian teen sensation Summer McIntosh.
Pallister then added a second silver in the women's 4 x 100m freestyle as she led Australia home behind the USA.
Meg Harris, Milla Jansen and Alexandria Perkins - who went from fourth to second in an impressive third leg, made up the quartet.
McIntosh was in the Canadian team that took bronze in that event, but that was a personal footnote after winning her individual race in a world record 3.50:25, earning herself a $US25,000 ($A39,000) bonus.
The 18-year-old, who came second to Australia's Ariarne Titmus in the long course freestyle 400m at the Paris Olympics, led from the first turn and gradually pulled away, though Pallister was herself on world record pace through 300m before fading.
Pallister, 22, held on for second in Tuesday's final ahead of Canada's Mary-Sophie Harvey and finished in 3.53:73, an Oceania record.
“I would have loved to have defended my 400m title from Melbourne, but Summer is Summer – what a swim,” Pallister said.
“I couldn’t stay with her, I tried to hold on but I am happy with that.”
Given McIntosh's emergence it was still a fine result, especially given Pallister's preparation had been disrupted by worrying about the health of her godmother, swim legend Dawn Fraser, who broke four ribs in a fall a few days ago.
That was, she and her coach and mother Janelle, said, "stressful and frightening".
Leah Neale, also a finalist in Melbourne, came seventh in 4.01:45.
McIntosh was one of three swimmers to break individual world records on the opening day of the meet in the Duna Arena's fast pool.
American Kate Douglas and Swiss Noe Ponti both set new global marks as they won the 200m women's individual medley and men's 50m butterfly respectively.
The headline act though, was Gretchen Walsh in the women's 50m butterfly. The US swimmer broke a 15-year-old world record in the heats and did so again in the semi-final. That netted her US$50,000 (A$78,000) in bonuses with the final still to come.
Two Australians are in that final with Perkins joined, via a swim-off, by Lily Price.
Price (25.07) beat Italian Silvia di Pietro (25.26) in the swim off.
“I was pretty nervous and it’s a bit overwhelming to have just two of us in the pool but I was pretty pumped after watching the relay girls win a medal … and what a great night for Lani,” price said.
Walsh and Douglass then teamed up to set another world record as USA won the relay, a dual feat their men repeated a few minutes later.
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