Commonwealth Games 2014: Hannah Miley sets record in opening heat to joins Aimee Wilmott in 400 metres individual medley final

Home favourite is looking to defend her Commonwealth gold won in Delhi four years ago and began with the fastest time in the heats

Hannah Miley of England competes in the Women's 400m Individual Medley heat during the 2014 Commonwealth Games (Getty Images)

Home favourite Hannah Miley kicked off the Commonwealth Games swimming in some style as she set a record in the opening race.

Miley, the defending 400 metres individual medley champion from Delhi, set a Games record time of four minutes 38.27 seconds in the opening swim of the competition.

It secured her place in tonight's final, with domestic rival, Aimee Willmott of England, also qualifying in the second heat.

"It was good, quicker than expected," Miley told Press Association Sport. "Now it's about recovering and bringing it back tonight. It will be a great race and I am looking forward to it."

Miley and Willmott were the quickest pair, with England's Danielle Lowe also squeezing into the final. Former Brit Ellen Gandy, now swimming for Australia, missed the cut.

In an exciting men's 400m freestyle heat, Stephen Milne beat fellow Scots Dan Wallace and Robbie Renwick with a time of 3:46.88, with all three qualifying for the final tonight.

"It was a good race," Milne said. "It was a Scottish one-two-three, so you can't complain about that.

"I couldn't really hear much until the end, but I knew we were pretty close.

"I will get recovered as best I can and step up tonight."

England's James Guy was also among the qualifiers.

In the women's 200m freestyle, England's Siobhan O'Connor initially set a Games record before it was broken in the next heat by Australian Emma McKeown. She progressed to the final as the second fastest swimmer, with Wales' Jazz Carlin also going through.

Benjamin Proud was fastest qualifier in the men's 50m butterfly with a time of 23.17 to go into tonight's semi-final along with fellow countryman Adam Barrett and with Tom Laxton of Wales.

England's Sophie Taylor qualified for the women's 50m breaststroke semi-final with a time of 30.56, the second fastest in the heats, along with fellow countrywoman Molly Renshaw.

Scotland trio, Corrie Scott, Kathryn Johnstone and Andrea Strachan also got through with Wales' Bethan Sloan.

PA