By Ian Gordon, PA Sport, Sydney

One of swimming's top coaches has pleaded with the British public to "keep the faith" even if the team fail to win a single medal at the Olympics.

The 41-strong squad could become the first to return home without a single medal since the 1936 Games in Berlin.

While the number of world records reached double figures in just four days of competition in Sydney's International Aquatic Centre today, just six British records have been set.

Only two of those have come from individuals with Games rookie Georgina Lee breaking the 200metres butterfly record on Tuesday while Paul Palmer broke his own 200m freestyle mark on Monday.

But Dave Calleja, coach to Stephen Parry who was sixth in today's 200m butterfly final, believes British swimmers can challenge the likes of Australia and the United States - although it will take another decade.

"The British public have got to keep the faith," said Calleja, who coaches Parry at Stockport Metros.

"We have come a long way in the last few years, but the rest of the world is also moving on.

"We are getting more people into finals but now we have got to make the next step up and get on to the podium at the Olympics.

"But it is not going to happen in the next four years - it will be eight or 12 years from now.

"Australia took 12 years to reach the top, so people who assume we are going to do it in half that time are wrong. I think the team have been doing a great job."

Parry was one of Britain's best hopes of a medal, having clocked the fourth best time in the world earlier this year, but the 23-year-old was unable to maintain that ranking in the final.

The Liverpool-born swimmer finished in one minute 57.01 seconds as America's world champion Tom Malchow set his third Olympic record in successive races to win in 1:55.35.

"I am obviously disappointed," said Parry, who has devoted himself to swimming for the past 18 months since graduating from the University of Florida.

"I went into the event ranked fourth in the world and I wanted to improve on that. But I should be pleased.

"I thought I was well placed after 150m, but then it did not quite happen for me.

"The time I did would have got me the silver medal four years ago, but the event - every swimming event - has moved on so much over the last few years. But we have still got medal chances this week.

"We are struggling to compete at this level at the moment, but if you look at all the world records being broken then swimming has got to be one of the most competitive sports in the world.

"I think I will be able to win medals here and there. We have got kids coming through who can challenge at Olympics, although it is not going to happen overnight."

Britain's 4x200m freestyle relay quartet looked set to end the medal drought in Tuesday's final race as they went into the final 50m challenging for the silver.

But James Salter, after his exertions in the 200m and 400m, was unable to hang on and the foursome - that also included Ed Sinclair, Paul Palmer and Marc Spackman - slipped to fifth.

The quartet finished just 0.28secs outside third place, although the consolation was a new British record of 7:12.98 - well over four seconds inside the two-year-old previous best.

The Australians finished more than five seconds earlier as they obliterated the old world record to give 17-year-old Sydneysider Ian Thorpe his third gold of the Games.

"I thought we'd got it," admitted Palmer, fifth in the 200m freestyle.

"We swam well, but the rest of the world is going quicker now."

Lee, meanwhile, took well over a second off her personal best in the two rounds to set a new British record of 2:10.33 when finishing fifth in the semi.

The 19-year-old from Birmingham deposed Margaretha Pedder who finished one place further back in the lane alongside in 2:10.49 - also a personal best. The pair finished 10th and 11th overall respectively.

"It's great to get the record," said Lee, not overawed by the 17,500 crowd.

"I am delighted with my times today. The whole atmosphere has been unbelievable."