CWG: Swimming heats kicks off the Games

New Delhi: Arti Bajarang Ghorpade of India has won a women's 200-meter freestyle heat in the first competition event at the Commonwealth Games.

Ghorpade finished the first of seven heats in a time of 2 minutes, 12.20 seconds on Monday, well outside the world record of 1:52.98 held by Federica Pellegrini of Italy.

The heats are conducted in reverse order of qualifying times for the games, meaning the slowest swimmers are sent out first.

There will be five gold medals awarded in the pool later Monday, while two finals will be held in weightlifting and one in artistic gymnastics.

Emily Seebohm of Australia, who will attempt to win eight gold medals in the Commonwealth Games pool, matching Michael Phelps' feat at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, was the fastest qualifier in the 50-meter butterfly. She will swim the final later on Monday.