LIVE BLOG: Text Commentary from day one of Duel in the Pool in Manchester

By George Scott, Sportsbeat, in Manchester

READY FOR BATTLE: Rebecca Adlington will be in action on day one of the Duel in the Pool in Manchester (Getty Images)

KEEP REFRESHING FOR REGULAR UPDATES FROM MANCHESTER

WORLD RECORDS SO FAR: 5 (Women's 4x100m IM relay, men's 4x100m IM relay, men's 100m backstroke, women's 400m IM, women's 200m breaststroke)

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 33 - AMERICA 89 

---

20.55: Well that's that folks and Europe find themselves trailing by 56 points at the halfway stage. That is some mountain to climb (think an Oompa Loompa scaling Everest) but there's been some standout performances from Brits Fran Halsall and Lizzie Simmonds...so it's not all doom and gloom! This event is all about raising the profile of the sport and the atmosphere's been superb...lets just hope there's a few more European wins on Saturday. 

Join me again tomorrow from 2pm for the rest of the action. See you there!

20.52: If you were hoping for a tight race to cap off tonight's action then you're going to be disappointed...Peter Vanderkaay absolutely walks it! The American was within world record pace for a fair distance but took his foot off the pedal in the closing stages and missed out on German Paul Biedermann's mark.

Robert Renwick and David Davies finished a disappointing fifth and sixth respectively. 

1. PETER VANDERKAAY (America) - 3:55.54
2. FEDERICO COLBERTALDO (Europe) - 3:58.54
3. MICHAEL KLUEH (America) - 3:39.94

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 33 - AMERICA 89

20.48: Just one race left tonight - the men's 400m freestyle. 

 BRIT WATCH: Watch out for open-water specialist David Davies and Robert Renwick.

20.45: We knew it would be difficult for our Adlington here but she's pulled a great result out of the bag. It may only be second but you can't argue with that at this stage of the year. Shock for the Hoff-meister though who finishes last. 

1. ALLISON SCHMITT (America) - 3:55.89
2.  REBECCA ADLINGTON (Europe) - 3:59.04

3. DAGNY KNUTSON (America) - 4:01.21

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 30 - AMERICA 83 

20.41: Rebecca Adlington's best friend Jo Jackson holds the world record (3:54.92) for 400m freestyle over the short course. Jackson had to pull out of this meet though after illness derailed her training and form. 

20.39:  The biggest cheer of the night goes to Great Britain's golden girl Rebecca Adlington in the women's 400m freestyle. The double Olympic gold medallist doesn't fancy short course swimming but she'll be keen to impress in home water. Keep an eye on America's Katie Hoff too, who finished second behind Adlington in this event at the Beijing Olympics. 

20.34: Phew! I can't keep up! Another close-run race in the men's 100m butterfly but guess who snatched it? None other than Michael Phelps. 

1. MICHAEL PHELPS (America) - 50.46
2. BENJAMIN STARKE (Europe) - 50.51
3.  MICHAEL ROCK (Europe) - 50.61

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 27 - AMERICA 79 

20.27: Fran Halsall take a bow! The Liverpudlian has just stormed the women's 100m butterfly with a massive British record. It looked as though she was on for second but she found that extra inch from somewhere! That's two wins for Halsall tonight...superb stuff!

1.  FRANCESCA HALSALL (Europe) - 55.71
2. CHRISTINE MAGNUSON (America) - 55.81 
3. DANA VOLMER (America) - 56.00

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 23 - AMERICA 72

20.22: Superb race that one - best of the night! Three swimmers (two Americans and a European) stroke-for-stroke in the last few metres but one of out friends across the pond steals it. Gutting!

1. MIKE ALEXANDROV (America) - 2:03.72
2. EDOARDO GIORGETTI (Europe) - 2:03.80
3. SEAN MAHONEY (America) 2:04.28

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 18 - AMERICA 68

... a 50 point advantage!

20.19: Time for the men to take to the pool in their 200m breaststroke. Again, no Brits here, but we can some of our European team-mates claw back the score. 

20.16: Full results from that record breaking women's 200m breaststroke...

1. REBECCA SONI (America) - 2:14.57
2. KATY FREEMAN (America) - 2:17.50
3. ARIANA KUKORS (America) - 2:23.03 

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 15 - AMERICA 62

20.14:  Truly impressive from Rebecca Soni who romps to victory and, you guessed it, another world record. 2:14.57 from the American, ducking under Australian Leisel Jones' previous mark. Oh, and another American clean sweap. Dear oh dear...

20.10: There's no let up in the action at the Manchester Aquatics Centre and the women's 200m breaststroke is ready to go. Time for a breather for British fans though. America's Olympic champion Rebecca Soni is the overwhelming favourite and is inside world record pace after 100m!

20.06: Not good news for the European team as America grab another clean sweep in the men's 200m backstroke with Olympic champion Matt Grevers leading the way...

1. MATT GREVERS (America) - 1:48.74
2. NICK THOMAN (America) - 1:50.05
3. AARON PEIRSOL - (America) - 1:51.08

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 15 - AMERICA 53

This could get embarassing unless the European team pick up their game pretty sharpish! 

20.01: Full results of the women's 200m backstroke...

1.  LIZZIE SIMMONDS (Europe) - 2:00.91
2. MARGARET HOELZER (America) - 2:02.72
3. ELIZABETH PELTON - 2:02.76 

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 15 - AMERICA 44

20.00: Fabulous swim from Lizzie Simmonds to win the women's 200m backstroke with a European record! Five points on the board for Europe. Full result to come. 

19.55: Phelps didn't win! He's not in a super-suit but it's still always a shock to see the 14-time Olympic champion down the pack. Here's how it went... 

1. NATHAN ADRIAN (America) - 45.42
2. MARCO ORSI (Europe) - 46.59
3. MICHAEL PHELPS (America) - 46.99

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 10 - AMERICA 40 

19.54: If that wasn't enough, now it's time for the blue ribband event - the men's 100m freestyle. No Brits in action here but there is one Michael Phelps. What can he do here...

19.48: Superb stuff from Fran Halsall who brings it home for Europe with a lifetime best! Good girl! That will eat into the USA's lead a little...

1. FRAN HALSALL (Europe) - 51.54 seconds
2. DANA VOLMER (America) - 52.16
3. DANIELA SCHREIBER (Europe) - 52.73 

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 7 - AMERICA 34

19.45: Time to up the pace with the women's 100m freestyle.

BRIT WATCH: World Championships silver me dallist Fan Halsall and Caitlin McClatchey will be looking to stop the European rot here!

19.41: OUCH! Clean-sweep for the American team who sweep into a commanding overall lead. 

1. TYLER CLARY (America) - 4:02.02
2. JACK BROWN (America) - 4:03.57
3. ALEX VANDERKAAY (America) - 4:05.22

4. THOMAS HAFFIELD (Europe) -  4:05.78

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 1 - AMERICA 31

19.36: The men's 400m IM is off!

 BRIT WATCH: Thomas Haffield is in representing Great Britain.

19.30:  Julia Smit eases up but still grabs the fourth world record of the night! Hannah Miley gets the first points on the board for Europe - and a European record to boot. 

1. JULIA SMIT (America) - 4:21.04
2. DAGNY KNUTSON (America) - 4:24.31
3. HANNAH MILEY (Europe) 4:24.51

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 1 - AMERICA 22

19.27: America's Julia Smit leads Italian Francesca Segat at 200m. Smit is four and a half seconds inside the world record!

19.25: They're on the blocks for the women's 400m IM. 

BRIT WATCH: Hannah Miley, fresh from 400m IM gold at the European Short Course Championships in Istanbul, and open-water specialist Keri-Anne Payne, a late addition to the European team, are the British hopes here. 

19.23:  Unbelievable stuff! America's Nick Thoman smashes the 100m backstroke world record on the first leg before his team-mates seal the relay record.

1. AMERICA 3:20.71
2. EUROPE 3:24.67

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 0 - AMERICA 14

19.20: Liam Tancock can't keep up with Nick Thoman on the first-leg but Michael Rock (against Michael Phelps!) has brought it back to two lengths at the final changeover!

19.18: The action is coming thick and fast and the men's 4x100m medley relay is off! 

BRIT WATCH: Liam Tancock and Michael Rock in action for Europe here. 

19.17: So it's an early lead for the American team. Here's how it stands:

OVERALL SCORE: EUROPE 0 - AMERICA 7

19:14:  One race, one world record! The American team have set a storming pace and clock 3:47.19 minutes to break Canada's old mark. Bad start for the European team though, they touched in 3:52.19 but are disqualified for a fault changeover. 

1. AMERICA 3:47.19
2. EUROPE 3:52.19 

19.12: Italy's Ilaria Bianchi is in the pool for the butterfly leg but this is going to be a comfortable win for the American team, who are inside world record pace!

19.11: Neck-and-neck between Spofforth and Margaret Hoelzer at the change but Jessica Hardy turns the screw for the American team on the breaststroke leg. One length ahead at the second change. 

19.10: And we're off! Our world champ Gemma Spofforth kicks off the backstroke leg.

19.08: The European team is going to have a tough task on their hands if they're to topple the American all-stars over the course of both days. Can they do it? Leave your predictions in the comments section below. 

19.07: Margaret Hoelzer, Jessica Hardy, Dana Volmer and Amanda Weir form the American line-up for this women's 4x100m relay. The teams are out...here we go!

19.05: The place is absolutely buzzing! Think cricket's Twenty20 and you're halfway there...this is a swimming event like no other.

19.03: BRIT WATCH: 100m backstroke world champion Gemma Spofforth takes her place in the European 4x100m medley relay alongside Caroline Ruhnau, Ilaria Bianchi, Daniela Samulski. 

19.01: Huge cheer for the Baltimore Bullet Michael Phelps but that's easily surpassed by European captain Rebecca Adlington who raises the roof! Handshakes aplenty between the two teams but after that it's down to action!

18.56: The American team are being introduced to the crowd here and we're just minute away from the first race. This is the running order:

Women's 4x100m medley relay 
Men's 4x100m medley relay
Women's 400m individual medley
Men's 400m individual medley
Women's 100m freestyle
Men's 100m freestyle
Women's 200m backstroke
Men's 200m backstroke
Women's 200m breaststroke
Men's 200m breaststroke
Women's 100m butterfly
Men's 100m butterfly
Women's 400m freestyle
Men's 400m freestyle 

18.53: To give you a quick run-down of how this will work... the competition is over the short-course (25m) and includes 13 events for both men and women over the two days. 

There are no heats, just straight finals, so they'll be no holding back and the first place is awarded five points for their team, second place gets three and just the solitary point for third place. Fourth, fifth and sixth leave empty-handed. Meanwhile, the winning team in the head-to-head relay events will receive seven points. 

18.50: The atmosphere is building inside the Manchester Aquatics Centre, purpose built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and there will be a 2000-strong capacity crowd cheering on the European select team. Just over 15 minutes until we're off!

Welcome to the Manchester Aquatics Centre for what is being billed as the Ryder Cup of Swimming.

The USA and Europe are set to do battle in the team short course event dubbed Duel in the Pool.

The USA have brought with them their Olympic star Michael Phelps but there will be a few Brits out to gun down the Balitmore Bullet so stay tuned.