BARCELONA -- Bermuda's relay team justified their late inclusion on a day at the Bernat Picornell pool that saw the national swimming programme shine like on no other.

The youngsters concluded their first Olympic experience with an ordinary showing on Thursday but it was the day before that national coach Gareth Davies believes was the best in his 13 years as a coach in Bermuda, and perhaps the finest in Bermuda's history.

Mike Cash and Craig Morbey were the late additions to Bermuda's Olympic squad and they teamed up with Geri Mewett and Ian Raynor in the 4x100 freestyle to set an astonishing national long course record of 3 minutes, 31.17 seconds.

They were expected to swim around 3:36.

Add to that Chris Flook knocking a whopping five seconds off the national record for the 200 breast (2:24.85) while finishing second in his heat, and Jenny Smatt lowering the 100 breast record by a second to 1:13.94 and Davies had every reason to be pleased.

On Thursday, Smatt again produced a personal best and national record when she won her 200 individual medley heat in 2:29.29, then Mewett and Raynor showed the effects of Wednesday's relay milestone and two false starts in their heat by placing fifth and sixth respectively in the 50 free. Mewett was clocked in 24.20 and Raynor in 24.23.

"Yesterday's swimming was the best day we've had in Bermuda swimming since I've been involved,''said Davies. "The swimming was absolutely outstanding.'' Smatt, 17, was sixth in the 100 breast final in last year's Pan American Games in Cuba and Wednesday's second-place performance puts her within striking distance of the best in the Commonwealth.

"She is seventh in the Commonwealth at the moment,'' said Davies. "The two British girls, Britain not England, were only half a second in front of her.

By the time the next Commonwealth Games come around, it will be pretty impressive.'' Cash, at 24 the oldest member of the team, was superb in the second leg of the relay. He took over from Raynor, who swam the first leg in 53.07, and turned it over to Morbey 52.35 seconds later. Morbey knocked half a second off his best relay time (53.51) and then anchor man Mewett blazed home in 52.54.

Bermuda finished fifth in the heat which was won by the Unified Team (3:17.48) with France second in 3:22.21, Australia third (3:22.24), South Africa fourth (3:23.53) and Guatemala sixth (3:42.53).

Davies said: "The relay team were absolutely out of this world. I mean that time was absolutely fantastic. Their qualifying time long course was 3:36.

They swam a 31, five seconds faster. They swam three and a half seconds quicker than they did in Cuba where they would have placed sixth (the team was disqualified).

"On that time in the Commonwealth Games, they would have placed fifth or sixth. That time would place them second in the United Kingdom behind England.

Tremendous swim.'' Davies said with all due respect to the pre-war swim teams that represented Bermuda at the Olympics, he felt this crop has to be the best Bermuda has produced.

"We've probably got Flookie ranked in the Commonwealth, we've got Smatt ranked in the Commonwealth and we've got our relay team ranked in the Commonwealth.'' In all, the youngsters compiled 11 personal bests, eight national records and won three heats.

"That is one hell of a performance from a town, because that's all we are is a town of 50-60,000 people,'' said Davies. "That is wonderful.

"It had been very good up until then. We had been having comparable performances and PBs but yesterday (Wednesday) was what set up history. Jenny broker her national record today (Thursday) but it was an anti-climax. It was one hell of a success story.'' RECORDBREAKER -- Chris Flook.