ROME - Swimmer Tanya Hunks erased the longest-standing Canadian women's record Sunday, en route to the women's 400-metre individual medley final on the final day of competition at the world championships.

Hunks was fourth in the morning preliminaries in four minutes 35.84 seconds, eclipsing the time of 4:38.46 set by Joanna Malar of Hamilton at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg.

"I'm pretty satisfied,'' said Hunks. "Joanne was in my club when I was 10-years-old and I really looked up to her. She was an amazing swimmer and to break that record is pretty special.''

Australian Stephanie Rice qualified first in 4:34.62. Victoria's Alexa Komarnycky was 16th and did not advance.

Canada also set a national record in the men's 4x100 medley relay prelims, but did not make the final,

Pascal Wollach of Calgary, Mathieu Bois of Montreal, Joe Bartoch of London, Ont., and Brent Hayden of Vancouver finished ninth in 3:31.02, missing the final by 0.28 seconds. The previous Canadian record of 3:34.99 was set at last year's Olympic trials by a foursome that included Bois and Bartoch.

"We could have done better but it's still a step forward with the time,'' said Bois.

In the men's 400 IM, Jordan Hartney of Vancouver and Anders McIntyre of Vernon, B.C. did not advance.

Canadian swimmers in Sunday's finals are Amanda Reason of Windsor, Ont., and Annamay Pierse of Vancouver in the women's 50 breaststroke, Ryan Cochrane of Victoria in the men's 1,500 freestyle and Tanya Hunks of Vancouver in the women's 400 IM.