Canada won its first gold medal at the world aquatic championships in Melbourne on Thursday.

Swimmer Brent Hayden of Mission, B.C., and defending champion Filippo Magnini of Italy finished tied for first in a close men's 100-metre freestyle race that saw the top five finishers separated by a mere 10th of a second.

Swimmer Brent Hayden won Canada's first gold medal at the world aquatic championships in Melbourne Thursday.
(TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images)

Hayden, 23, and Magnini finished the two-lap race in 48.43 seconds. After the race, the two climbed out of the pool and hugged each other.

The time was a Canadian record — Hayden held the previous mark of 48.59.

Eamon Sullivan of Australia won the bronze in 48.47.

"It's a pretty special day," said Canadian head coach Tom Johnson of Canada's first swimming gold at the competition in 21 years. "It doesn't happen that often."

Canada now has four medals at the competition, having already earned three silver medals in diving.

"It feels absolutely amazing," Hayden told a conference call with Canadian reporters.

"I really had no idea what was going to come out of this event, but deep down you always hope for a gold medal. To actually see that dream become a reality is absolutely incredible and I really can't ask for any more right now. Because my life really right now seems perfect."

Also on Thursday, Brian Johns of Richmond, B.C., was fifth in the 200-metre individual medley, as American Michael Phelps set another world record time.

Phelps won the race in one minute 54.98 seconds, topping his old record of 1:55.84 set at last summer's Pan Pacific championships.

Johns' time was 1:59.46, just off the Canadian record of 1:59.45 he established the day before.

Advancing to finals

Mike Brown of Perth, Ont., was second in his 200-metre breaststroke semifinal in 2:11.61 to advance to the final.

In women's action, Calgary's Erica Morningstar was second in her 100-metre freestyle semifinal in 54.08 to qualify for the final.

Audrey Lacroix of Pont Rouge, Que., was fifth in the 200-metre butterfly final won by Australian Jessicah Schipper.

Lacroix finished in 2:07.73, beating the Canadian record of 2:08.12 she had set earlier in the week.

"You're seeing the type of Canadian fighting spirit that we look for and that we've come to expect from Canadian swim teams resurfacing and becoming our trademark once again," said Johnson.

The Canadian women's water polo team defeated Spain 9-6 and will meet Italy for fifth place Saturday.

With files from Canadian Press