Cal alumnae Natalie Coughlin and Dana Vollmer as well as Cal and U.S. head coach Teri McKeever were busy today, Wednesday, on the first day of the FINA Short Course World Championships in Dubai, UAE.

Vollmer anchored the fourth-place 800-meter freestyle relay for the United States, which posted a time of 7:38.42 in the final. Coughlin qualified for the 100-meter backstroke final by taking fourth place in the semifinal with a time of 57.61. She swam the fifth-fastest time (57.91) in the 100 back in Wednesday's preliminary heats.