Spaniard Belmonte Garcia is the golden girl

She won double gold on day one of the event, in the 400m individual medley and the 200m butterfly and followed up with silver in the 800m freestyle at the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Sports Complex in Dubai.

“I feel very happy, it was an amazing race,” said Garcia who was a 400m individual medley gold medalist in the 2008 European Short Course Championships.

“This morning I was very tired and felt very nervous but as the afternoon wore on I became more relaxed.

“I can’t believe that I have won four medals, three of them golds, but I think it will sink in when I get home.”

US star Ryan Lochte, who shares a medal haul of three golds with the Spaniard, was also in action in the 100m individual medley semifinals.

He qualified fastest for Sunday’s final in a new championship record of 50.81 seconds.

Germany’s Markus Deibler, brother of 50m butterfly world record-holder, Steffan, who also competed on day four, qualified in second with a 52.08 mark, breaking the German record. Kenneth To of Australia is also through in third with a time of 52.08.

“I don’t know what to say about that race,” said Lochte.

“I’m not used to swimming it. I’m not really aiming for anything tomorrow (Sunday), it’s probably going to be the hardest day.”

Lochte has contested three events so far this week, winning gold in the 200m freestyle and breaking world records in the 200m and 400m individual medleys.

According to USA Swimming, he is scheduled for the 100m individual medley final and the 200m backstroke and may also race in the 4x100m medley relay.

“I do have a tough schedule but this is just a stepping stone for me on the way to the World Championships in Shanghai 2011, it’s just a lot of racing.”

Rebecca Soni claimed the breaststroke double, winning the 100m in a championship record 1:03.98 to add to her 50m gold. Leisel Jones took silver in 1:04.26 while China’s Ji Liping won bronze in 1:04.79.

Venezuela’s Albert Subirats won his country first gold medal at a world championships, beating Ukrainian youngster, Andrii Govorov and world record holder, Steffan Deibler to the wall in 20.40. Govorov posted a time of 22.43 while Deibler finished in 22.44. All three were inside the championship record.

“I’m very happy,” said Subirats.

“It has been a tough year and I have been frustrated at major championships in the past - I think I got fourth by one hundredth of a second six times over the last few years so I’m happy to get gold for myself and my country.”

Deibler said he was fatigued after a busy season.

“I’m happy with bronze,” he said. “I have the swims from the European championships in my bones and I was pleased to improve from the semis to the final.”

Another South American, Brazil’s Cesar Cielo, will go for his second gold of this event in Sunday’s 100m freestyle final after clocking a championship record 46.01 in his semifinal.

“It felt quite easy tonight,” said Cielo, who won gold and another championship record in the 50m freestyle.

“I’m probably going to stick to the same speed but bring it home a bit more.”

The Netherlands won the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay in 3:28.54, their championship record good enough to beat the US in silver and China in bronze.