Reigning world champion Galvez stopped the clock at 55.46sec on her way to gold, to set one of four world records on the opening day of competition.

Galvez shaved 0.22 off the previous mark set by compatriot Jessicah Schipper in Hobart in August to tighten Australia's stranglehold on the event.

The world record has now been passed between Galvez, Schipper and Libby Trickett more than five times in the past three years.

''It's been a rivalry between us Aussie girls for the last few years, I guess it just shows the depth in Australian swimming in this event,'' Galvez said.

''It's nice to have my name back on it. I'm very happy.

''I tried to go for it in Moscow [last week] but fell a bit short, but this time I nailed all my turns and just got it.''

Triple Olympic gold medallist Leisel Jones was also back in the winners circle, claiming the 100m breaststroke in 1:03.74, just 0.02 outside her own world record that she set in Canberra in 2008.

The returning Eamon Sullivan failed to make it into the final of the 100m freestyle, as did American legend Michael Phelps, French speedster Frederic Bousquet and Italian Filipo Magnini.

Phelps shunned the high-tech swimsuit and paid the price, failing to qualify for the final in two out of the three races he contested, before finishing the day with bronze in the 100m individual medley.

Phelps, who won an unprecedented eight gold medals at last year's Beijing Olympics, did have the excuse that he chose to anticipate the FINA ban on high-tech bodysuits due to come into force on January 1.

Until then swimmers can choose either to stick with the bodysuits which sparked an avalanche of world records at the world championships in Rome in July or switch back to more conventional attire.

And Phelps, competing for the first time since Rome, opted not to use the controversial suit and clocked 47.77 in the heats of the 100m freestyle, the 16th fastest time and 1.84 slower than the best time set by Sweden's Stefan Nystrand (45.93).