Dubai is known for its gold, and when it comes to short course swimming so too is AIS scholarship holder Felicity Galvez.

A dual gold medal winner at the 2008 World Short Course championships, Galvez had to wait until the final night of competition for her first, and Australia’s first gold medal, at this year’s 2010 FINA World Short Course Championships in Dubai.

Missing out in the 50m butterfly by just 0.01 of a second for silver, Galvez used that disappointment to put together four perfect laps and a new Commonwealth and championship record time of 55.43 to win gold in the 100m butterfly.

Up against Swedish rival Therese Alshammar (55.73) who won silver, Galvez said the 100 was always the one she wanted, and she had to wait until the end of the meet to get it.

“It would have been nice to go under the world record which is kind of what I was thinking about coming into the meet, but I can’t complain with the gold medal that I wanted,” said Galvez.

“I had some time to think this morning and knew that we hadn’t won a gold medal yet and thought it would be good to be the person who brings home the gold medal for Australia, and I’m honoured that I’ve done that for my country.”

“I kind of put in my mind that she (Alshammar) gets the 50m gold, but I deserve the 100 because I’ve worked for this one a lot more than I have for the 50.”

10th FINA World Short Course Championships - Dubai
Australian Medal Tally
1 Gold
7 Silver
3 Bronze

Felicity Galvez, Gold in the women’s 100m fly
Leiston Picket, Silver in the women’s 50m breaststroke
Blair Evans, Jade Neilsen, Kelly Stubbins, Kylie Palmer, Silver in the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay
Kylie Palmer, Silver in the women’s 400m freestyle relay
Felicity Galvez, Silver in the women’s 50m butterfly
Kotuku Ngawati, Silver in the women’s 100m IM
Rachel Goh, Silver in the women’s 50 backstroke
Leisel Jones, Silver in the women’s 100m breaststroke
Brenton Rickard, Bronze in the men’s 200m breaststroke
Rachel Goh, Leisel Jones, Felicity Galvez, Marieke Guehrer, Bronze in the women’s medley relay
Kylie Palmer, Bronze in the women’s 200m freestyle