Cyclist Anna Meares became the first Australian to strike gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, but swim star Libby Lenton was pipped in a string of upsets that gave the brave hearts of Scotland first night honours at the pool.

Meares flashed to victory in the women's 500m time trial, showing all the class that has made her the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder.

The 22-year-old Queenslander soaked up the support of her overjoyed parents, watching her for the first time at a major meeting, as her elder sister and room-mate Kerrie made it a near-perfect family affair by taking the bronze medal.

"We had the most important people in our lives cheering us on, and that's what made it so sweet a victory," said Meares, who broke her big sister's Games record in the process.

"Man, I'm so, so happy with that."

The triumph was a testament to the fighting spirit of Meares, whose doctors told her as recently as seven months ago that a back injury would prevent her from racing in Melbourne.

Ben Kersten later made it double-gold for Australia at the velodrome when he won the men's 1,000m time trial with less than four hundredths of a second to spare from Jason Queally of England.

A tearful Kersten rolled on the ground in joyful disbelief when he realised the gold medal was his, before riding a lap of honour with the Australian flag and leaping into the stands to embrace supporters.

The cyclists' success, however, could not be replicated at the swimming pool, the traditional source of Australia's Games domination.

Libby Lenton's quest for seven gold medals was torpedoed at the very outset by a flying Scot called Caitlin McClatchey.

Lenton set the pace in the women's 200m freestyle final, only for McClatchey to finish over the top of the 21-year-old Queenslander and spring an upset in a scorching time of one minute 57.25 seconds.

Scotland's David Carry blew more wind into his country's bagpipes with another stunning swim in the 400m freestyle.

Carry beat Welsh favourite David Davies into third place, with Aussie Craig Stevens fourth after being called up to replace the ill Ian Thorpe in an event Australia had not lost since 1982.

Australia swept all three medals in the women's 200m medley, but not in the order expected, as favourite Brooke Hanson had to settle for silver behind surprise packet Stephanie Rice.

The 17-year-old Queenslander charged home over Hanson and teammate Lara Carroll to notch Australia's only swimming gold of the night in Games record time.

"I never thought I was going to win, I didn't think I was a chance," said Rice, who chopped more than a second off her best time at her first major competition.

With South Africa taking the men's sprint relay as expected, and New Zealander Moss Burmester trumping Australian Travis Nederpelt in the men's 200m butterfly, that left Scotland on top on opening night at the pool.

Australia also fought its way back from a terrible start on the high bar to claim silver in the men's team gymnastics event.

After senior team members Philippe Rizzo and Damian Istria fell off the high bar in the first rotation, solid performances on the rings, pommel horse and parallel bars pushed the Australians into second place, behind Canada and ahead of defending champion England.

The Canadians began favourites and scored 269.750 to take out the gold.

The Australians scored 268.850 and England 260.000 points.

Teenager Erika Yamasaki earlier snatched Australia's first medal of the Games - a bronze in the women's 48kg division behind legendary Indian weightlifter Kunjarani Devi Nameirakpam.

Australia's star-studded rugby sevens team also booked a place in Friday's quarter-finals with two victories ahead of their late-night match against England.

First they slaughtered Sri Lanka 73-0 in an 11-try walkover described as "awesome" by Test fullback Chris Latham, who scored a hat-trick of tries.

Then they were brought back closer to earth when a feisty Cook Islands team pushed them all the way before going down 28-19.

The Hockeyroos won their opening match, fighting back from 2-1 down at half time to beat defending gold medallist India 4-2 thanks to second half goals from Rebecca Sanders and Angie Skirving.

Lawn bowlers Barrie Lester and Nathan Rice opted to play through a hailstorm as they defeated Namibia in their opening men's round robin match.

The Australian women's basketball team got its quest for Games gold off to a good start, dismantling India 146-46 at Traralgon Sports Stadium.

Australia still managed to finish day one on top of the medals table, but not without the dark shadow of a potential drug scandal hanging over the host nation.

Officials expect to announce on Friday the result of investigations into tablets, syringes and vials found by a cleaner in the rooms of weightlifters at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra on Tuesday.

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