New challenge for Popov's Argentine conqueror

Argentina's Jose Meolans opened his challenge for a second title at the world short-course swimming championships by winning his 100 metres freestyle heat on Saturday, a day after beating former Olympic champion Alexander Popov.

The newly-crowned 50 metres freestyle champion -- the first Argentine to win a world swimming championship title -- clocked 48.03 seconds for the fourth-fastest aggregate time among the 16 qualifiers for the evening's semifinals.

Algeria's Salim Iles led the way in 47.77, winning the final heat from Sweden's European short-course champion Stefan Nystrand (47.87) and American Scott Tucker (47.94).

Tucker's team mate Jason Lezak -- fifth in the 50 freestyle final -- surprisingly failed to qualify, managing only 19th place overall.

It has turned out to be a disappointing championships for Lezak, despite a gold medal in the victorious U.S. 4x100 freestyle relay on Wednesday.

Lars Frolander, winner of the event in 1999 and 2000, pulled out of the heats. The Swede finished a disappointing joint fifth in his 100 butterfly title defence on Thursday.

Popov, who shared bronze with Ukraine's Olexander Volinets behind Meolans and Britain's Mark Foster in the 50, is not contesting the 100.

TREBLE CHANCE

Yana Klochkova, chasing her third title of the five-day championships, faces stern opposition from American Gabrielle Rose in her 200 metres individual medley title defence on Saturday evening.

The 19-year-old Ukrainian, who retained her 400 individual medley crown on Wednesday and won the 400 freestyle on Friday, won her heat comfortably in 2:12.77, the fifth-fastest aggregate time.

Rose, silver medallist in Friday's 100 metres individual medley final, was quickest overall in 2:11.63, with Russia's Oxana Verevka second on aggregate in 2:12.17.

Britain's Alison Sheppard upstaged Swedish title-holder Therese Alshammar in the women's 50 metres freestyle heats, clocking 24.30 to lead the semifinal qualifiers.

But Alshammar, who retained her 100 metres freestyle title and shared more gold in Sweden's world record-breaking 4x100 medley relay on Friday, had plenty to spare when she won her heat in 24.78, more than a second outside her own 23.59 world short-course record.

Australia's Petria Thomas, who won Wednesday's 200 butterfly and took the silver in Friday's 50 butterfly, set her sights on the 100 butterfly title with the fastest heat time of 58.43.

Slovakia's European short-course champion Martina Moravcova, who retained her 100 individual medley crown on Friday, was second-fastest overall in 58.71.

Ukraine's Oleg Lisogor, the new men's 100 breaststroke champion, led the way in the 50 breaststroke heats in 27.49 but there was no place in the semifinals for Friday's 200 breaststroke gold medallist Jim Piper of Australia, who was 19th overall.

China's Li Hui, the world short-course record-holder, and American Haley Cope were fastest in the women's 50 backstroke heats in which Japan's Reiko Nakamura, Friday's 200 backstroke silver medallist, failed to qualify.

Nakamura, silver medallist in the 50 event in 1999, was 0.03 seconds behind the slowest qualifier.