It may not have looked pretty but champion Australian backstroker Emily Seebohm has launched her dual world title defence in impressive style at Budapest on Monday.
Seebohm admitted she had an unsightly distraction that in the end helped her focus on qualifying third fastest for Monday night's 100m backstroke semi-finals at Duna Arena.
"I had a bit of snot on my face, it was really annoying," she said on day two of the eight-day world titles.
"I could feel it in the last 25m but I couldn't do anything.
"But it gave me something to think about other than hurting."
Seebohm clocked 58.95 seconds to be well placed in the star studded 100m field behind Rio bronze medallist Kylie Masse of Canada (58.62) and Olympic champion, Hungary great Katinka Hosszu (58.80).
Seebohm, 25, will attempt to defend her 100m and 200m backstroke titles in Hungary after undergoing post Rio surgery to overcome health issues that sabotaged her 2016 Games campaign.
Seebohm failed to make the 200m final at Rio and finished a shock second-last in the 100m medal race.
Seebohm has also been battling a virus at Budapest leading to her unusual distraction but believed "anything was possible".
"There's nothing I can do about getting sick or snot on my face, it's something I have to deal with - in the end it's just girls in togs," Seebohm said.
It's unclear if Hosszu will contest Monday night's 100m semis with her pet event - the 200m individual medley final - scheduled shortly after.
But Seebohm was looking over her shoulder at world No.1-ranked Masse.
"It's only since the Olympics that I have seen her, I don't really know where she was hiding," Seebohm said.
Meanwhile, Seebohm's partner Mitch Larkin also launched his dual world title defence on Monday.
The 2015 FINA Swimmer of the Year qualified equal seventh fastest for Monday night's 100m backstroke semis behind pace setter Xu Jiayu of China.
Larkin is also the reigning 200m backstroke champion.
And Mack Horton qualified 11th fastest for Monday night's 200m freestyle semi-finals after his nemesis Sun Yang topped the timesheets.
Horton was backing up after being relegated to 400m freestyle silver by Sun on the opening night.
Emma McKeon - Australia's most decorated Rio swimmer with four medals - is the Dolphins' best podium chance on night two of the titles after qualifying second fastest behind Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom for Monday night's 100m butterfly final.
