![Jessica-Jane Applegate led a British podium sweep today in Manchester ©Getty Images](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.dmcl.biz/media/image/280603/o/para+swimming+world+championships+podium.jpg)
Jessica-Jane Applegate led a remarkable podium sweep for host nation Britain on the first day of the Para Swimming World Championships in Manchester.
Double Paralympic champion Applegate claimed a third World Championships gold medal as she sealed the women's 200 metres freestyle S14 title.
A time of 2min 09.09sec ensured she beat compatriots Bethany Firth and Louise Fiddes to top the podium.
It was a fruitful day for the hosts as they won four gold medals at the Manchester Aquatic Centre, with the first coming courtesy of Suzanna Hext.
She finished the women's 50m freestyle S5 in 36.71 to pip Ukrainian Iryna Poida and China's Dong Lu to victory.
"It is an honour to get the Great Britain team going and hopefully it is the first of many to come," Hext said.
"I know Ellie [Challis] followed me straight after there's a very exciting week ahead but it's my first time being world champion so I'm just blown away at the moment.
He breaks the World Record AGAIN! 😱
— #ParaSwimming #Manchester2023 (@Para_swimming) July 31, 2023
🥇🇨🇳 China’s Jincheng Guo lowered even more his own World Record set this morning (30.09) in the men’s 50m freestyle S5 and touched the wall in 29.78s.
🥈Weiyi Yuan 🇨🇳
🥉Samuel Oliveira 🇧🇷
🔴 LIVE: https://t.co/w24SWkJyae #Manchester2023 pic.twitter.com/cIFvXS1nIB
"I'm completely in shock."
Challis immediately doubled the British tally by taking glory in the women's 50m breaststroke SB2 final with a time of 1:05.72 while German Tanja Scholz and Israel's Veronika Guirenko followed in second and third respectively.
Stephen Clegg bagged the final British gold in the men's 100m backstroke S12 event.
His 1:00.13 finish was enough to beat Azerbaijan's silver medallist Raman Salei and Douglas Matera of Brazil as they settled for silver and bronze.
The men's 200m individual medley SM7 discipline saw a world record set as Ukraine's Andrii Trusov posted a historic time of 2:28.19.
China's Jincheng Guo broke the men's 50m freestyle S5 world record twice in the same day with an initial 30.09sec before setting the current best at 29.78.