Day-by-day guide to the World Swimming Championships

European and Commonwealth champion Hannah Miley joins double Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington and defending World champion Liam Tancock in spear heading Great Britain's 2011 World Championship campaign in Shanghai, China.

The GB team enjoyed their most successful World Championships ever in Rome in 2009 as they won seven medals in the pool, to finish third in the overall standings behind the United States and Australia.

You can read about Great Britain's attempts to attain more medals in China here.

SUNDAY, 24 JULY:

DAY IN BRIEF:

Rebecca Adlington produced a strong finish , but the double Olympic champion is still yet to climb to the top of the podium at a World Championships.

Italian Federica Pellegrini, who took the gold medal in Rome in 2009, defended her title with Camille Muffat in third.

Michael Phelps had to make do with bronze in his World Championships debut as his United States team finished third in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay behind Australia and France.

MONDAY, JULY 25:

DAY IN BRIEF:

Great Britain's Gemma Spofforth failed to defend her 100m backstroke world championship title after food-poisoning saw her finish 23rd quickest in the heats and miss the semi-finals.

Scotland's Hannah Miley came sixth in the 200m individual medley (IM) in Rome two years ago, but was seventh in Shanghai.

However, Ellen Gandy impressed with a fifth-placed finish in the 100m butterfly, her first World Championship final.

Elsewhere, 15-year-old Ye Shiwen caused a sensation when the Chinese teenager beat more experienced opposition to the 200m individual medley title.

Whilst a tearful Cesar Cielo powered his way to gold in the 50m butterfly at the World Championships, a week after the Brazilian was cleared to compete having tested positive for doping in May.

Alexander Dale Oen paid tribute to the victims of the tragedy in Norway after he won the 100m breaststroke final.

TUESDAY, JULY 26

DAY IN BRIEF:

Michael Phelps fails to reclaim the 200m freestyle title he lost to Germany's Paul Biedermann in 2009, finishing second behind his United States team-mate Ryan Lochte.

French pair Jeremy Stravius and Camille Lacourt share the men's 100m backstroke gold after a dead heat in the final, with Britain's Liam Tancock sixth.

China's Zhao Jing wins gold in the women's 100m backstroke, beating Russia's Anastasia Zueva by just one one-hundredth of a second, with Britain's Lizzie Simmonds seventh.

British pair Rebecca Adlington and Jo Jackson were unable to get out of their heat in the women's 200m freestyle.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27

DAY IN BRIEF:

Michael Phelps wins his first gold of the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai, claiming his fifth title in the 200m butterfly.

GB's Jemma Lowe and Ellen Gandy win their respective 200m butterfly semi-finals to make Thursday's final.

Double Commonwealth champion James Goddard qualifies for Thursday's 200m individual medley final alongside Phelps and 200m freestyle world champion Ryan Lochte, after finishing fourth in his semi-final.

THURSDAY, July 28

DAY IN BRIEF:

Ellen Gandy wins Great Britain's second silver medal in the pool at the World Championships in Shanghai, touching in a time of 2:05:59 in the 200m butterfly final, missing out on gold by just 0.04 seconds.

The USA's Ryan Lochte beat Michael Phelps for the second time in a week and broke his own world record to claim gold in the 200m individual medley - GB's James Goddard was close to tears after coming fourth.

Fran Halsall was the fastest qualifier for Friday's 100m freestyle final after winning her semi-final in 53.48, whilst Britons Andrew Willis and Michael Jamieson qualified fifth and sixth fastest respectively for the Friday's 200m breaststroke final.

GB's 4 x 200m freestyle team won a bronze medal in Rome two years ago, but without the likes of Rebecca Adlington and Jazz Carlin, who compete in the 800m freestyle heats on Friday, this time around they finished sixth - although that did guarantee the team an automatic relay place at London 2012.

FRIDAY, July 29

DAY IN BRIEF:

Fran Halsall missed out on a medal by just six-hundreths in the 100m freestyle final.

The Southport-born swimmer was the quickest qualifier, but her time of 53.72 seconds saw her come joint fourth, a result which she said 'hurt'.

American Ryan Lochte won the 200m backstroke and helped the United States to the 4x200m freestyle relay title, his third and fourth gold medals in China.

There was good news for British swimmer Elizabeth Simmonds though who's time of 2:08:79 was enough to secure her a place in Saturday's 200m backstroke.

SATURDAY, JULY 30

DAY IN BRIEF:

Baring a major surprise, Rebecca Adlington should return for the 800m freestyle final on the penultimate day of competition, an event in which she set the current world record of 8:14.10 at the Beijing Olympics.

Stephanie Proud produced an impressive performance to defeat both European gold and silver medallist Lizzie Simmonds and Gemma Spofforth at the British trials in March in the 200m backstroke. It will be interesting to see whether Florida-based Proud can make her mark on the international scene.

Defending 50m backstroke World Champion Liam Tancock will be hoping to progress from the semi-finals of this event, as will Fran Halsall in the 50m freestyle, in which she won silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

SUNDAY, JULY 31

DAY IN BRIEF:

Great Britain's 2009 50m backstroke world champion Liam Tancock will be looking to defend his crown in Shanghai, but it will not be straight forward with 2010's triple European champion Camille Lacourt set to pose a considerable threat.

Fran Halsall will also be expected to be in the mix for medals in the women's 50m freestyle final, but could this be the moment for Hannah Miley to throw down the gauntlet to her London 2012 rivals by claiming her first World Championship gold medal?

The Scottish swimmer finished an agonising fourth in the event two years ago and having claimed the European title over this distance in 2010 - is determined to add another medal to her collection.

More details about the World Aquatic Championships can be found on the official website.