Aussies eye gold rush

Australia's swimmers were back on the gold medal trail early on the second day of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Friday, while Wales were hit by a second doping shock.

Welsh 400m hurdler Rhys Williams, son of 1970s Wales and British Lion rugby icon 'JJ', was withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games after failing a doping test.

In competition, the Australian men's 4x100m freestyle relay team solidified their status as heavy favourites to retain the title as they qualified fastest ahead of England and Scotland for the final later Friday.

There was also a comfortable passage into the semifinals of the women's 100m backstroke for another Aussie as Emily Seebholm broke her own Commonwealth Games record from Delhi four years ago in a time of 59:51sec.

And Australia's Maddison Elliott pipped Stephanie Slater of England to qualify fastest for the women's para-sport freestyle 100m S8 final.

England's Fran Halsall, however, set a new Commonwealth Games record of 24:31sec in qualifying fastest for the semi-finals of the women's 50m freestyle ahead of Australian sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell on Friday.

The Campbell sisters had been part of the Aussie 4x100m freestyle relay team that broke the world record in claiming gold on Thursday and Bronte was first to break the Commonwealth record in the third heat of the day.

"It's pretty good, it's my fastest time of the year so it was a nice way to start the Games," said Halsall ahead of the semi-finals later on Friday.

"Hopefully I can go faster tonight."

Scotland's Ross Murdoch also built on his dream opening day as just over 12 hours after claiming 200m breaststroke gold, he qualified second fastest for the 100m breaststroke semi-finals.

"I took me a little bit of time to get over what I did last night and finally get some rest but I eventually got to sleep," said Murdoch.

However, it was England's Adam Peaty who comfortably led the world class field in the 100m breaststroke as he broke the Commonwealth Games record in a time of 59:47sec.