Aimee and James in show of Wil power

or doing really well and then I pretty much die.” Last year her programme was cut at the London Aquatics Centre and she was forced to move to Stirling to revive her career. Over the past 12 months she has also recovered from two broken ribs, a bashed elbow and knee surgery. “It was just a huge sigh of relief to get here. To do the business is incredible,” she said. Miley paid tribute to Willmott’s persistence. “Aimee has been a long-time rival and it’s wonderful that she’s kept me on my toes,” she said. Wilby blitzed through his final 100m, moving through the field from seventh to post 2:08.05secs and beat Murdoch by 0.27secs. “The back end has always been a strong part for me,” he said. “I was zoned out, in a little tunnel and just racing. That was a fast field out there.”

Wilby’s finish means England can now lock down the men’s breaststroke titles, with Peaty odds-on to take gold over 50m and 100m in the coming days.

In between England’s golden brace, James Guy opted for a blistering start in the opening skirmishes of the 400m freestyle from an outside lane. He held a 0.25secs lead at the 300m mark before being pegged back by Australia’s Mack Horton, who took gold.

England’s para-athletes Thomas Hamer and Ellie Robinson also took gold to leave Australia trailing in the pool on day one.

Hamer, 19, set a world-record time of 1:55.88 as he coasted to the S14 200m freestyle title. Paralympic champion Robinson, 16, won the S7 50m butterfly final in 35.72 to land her first Commonwealth medal.

Australia did end the day with gold in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay, with England taking bronze.

Earlier, defending champion Ben Proud was disqualified post-race from the 50m butterfly heats.

Proud was controversially adjudged to have moved on the blocks at the start, before posting what would have been a Commonwealth Games record 22:84. The world champion’s time would also have been fastest heading into tonight’s final.

After an unsuccessful appeal, a dejected Proud said: “I am in the shape of my life and am gutted.”