The powerful duo of Rebecca Adlington and Joanne Jackson went head-to-head in the 800m Freestyle final on the second day of the British Gas Scottish National Championships 2009.
In order to put themselves within contention for selection for the Rome World Championships athletes either had to win at the British Championships, which took place in Sheffield in March, or achieve the second fastest time over the two events.
The last time that the girls took each other on, Jackson broke the 400m Freestyle world record and all eyes were on the final of the 800m Freestyle this evening.
The race saw the Olympic medallists swimming stroke for stroke and at the half way point Jackson was 0.01 seconds ahead of Adlington.
Jackson, whose personal best time for the 800m lay at 8:23.87, wanted to show her strength and she challenged the world record holder all the way.
The race saw the athletes moving ahead of each other at each turn and it was down to the final 100m to seal the victory.
Adlington showed her ability as she moved away from Jackson and in the final 50m Jackson couldn’t keep up with Adlington’s pace.
The double Olympic champion took the gold medal in 8:16.81 – just two seconds off her world record.
“I really didn’t expect that time,” Adlington said. “It is the fastest I have been without resting and that is great.
“I wanted to stick with Jo as much as possible. It is so good that we push each other on. I wouldn’t want anyone else up there with me.”
Jackson took six seconds off her personal best as she touched in 8:17.81 and secured the fourth fastest time in history.
“I am pretty shocked by that,” Jackson said. “Becky pulled me through that race and it with only 100m left Becky pulled away and I didn’t have anything left.
“We help each other along and I really like having her there.”
The bronze medal went to Jazz Carlin (Swansea Performance) in 8:27.81.
Portsmouth’s Gemma Spofforth lowered her second British record of the Championships in the 200m Backstroke.
Spofforth missed the first qualification meet after having to compete in America and came into this event knowing that she had a point to prove and laid down a marker with her British record in the 50m Backstroke yesterday.
She looked confident on the blocks as she prepared for this evening’s final and showed her good form in the first 50m. She was pushed all the way by Chester-le-Street’s Stephanie Proud and they turned 0.70 seconds apart at the final 50m.
Spofforth’s last leg showed her class as she pulled away from Proud and took a second off the British record with a new time of 2:07.56.
“That just wasn’t expected,” Spofforth said. “I thought I had a 2:09 I me but not a 2:07. It was just unbelievable. I felt quite tired this morning so that was very surprising.
“I think a few people will notice that performance.”
Proud finished in 2:09.79 to win the silver medal and Rachel Lefley of Loughborough University took bronze in 2:12.43.
The men’s 400m Freestyle saw David Davies (Loughborough ITC) pushed on by Robbie Renwick (City of Glasgow) as he looked to take his first title of the competition.
Davies lay in fifth place after the first turn and battled hard to move up the field and at 300m he was in second place.
Renwick looked like he had a point to prove and was giving it his all. At the penultimate turn Renwick was still ahead of the Olympic silver medallist.
Davies stormed his final 50m and he finished a second ahead of Renwick in 3:48.69. Renwick succeeded in putting himself in contention for selection with a time of 3:49.92, half a second faster than Lewis Smith’s time from Sheffield.
Chris Alderton (Wear Valley) won bronze in a time of 3:51.50.
Garioch swimmer Hannah Miley swam to her second gold medal of the competition with a good swim in the women’s 200m Individual Medley.
Miley turned at the first 50m in fourth place and it was her strength in Breaststroke that enabled her move closer to Keri-Anne Payne (Stockport ITC).
The European record holder showed her power in the final 50m as won in a time of 2:12.52. Payne put herself in contention for selection for the World Championships with a time of 2:13.41, which equalled her time in Sheffield.
“The schedule for Rome means that I will compete in the 10km first and so that will hopefully mean that I will have time to recover and refresh for the pool,” Payne said. “It should work out well.
“I can’t choose which I prefer, open water or the pool, I enjoy them both.”
City of Manchester’s Emma Smithurst took the bronze in 2:15.45.
Guildford’s Marco Loughran achieved the qualifying standard for the World Championships in the men’s 100m Backstroke.
Through the first length Matthew Clay (University of Bath) found himself in first place but Loughran pulled it back in the final 50m to just beat Clay.
Loughran touched home in 54.48 to win the gold medal and beat his time from the British Championships by 0.03.
“I went off a bit easier in the final than in the heat after talking it through with my coach,” Loughran said. “I had a good final 50m. I saw I had Matt [Clay] on my right and I knew I had to touch him out if I wanted a chance to go to Rome.
“I have been working hard in Florida and doing lots of weights training to bulk me up a bit.”
Joe Roebuck (Loughborough University) swam just outside of his time in Sheffield but still achieved the second fastest time overall in the men’s 200m Butterfly.
Roebuck was in the lead throughout the race and touched home in 1:58.25 to take the gold medal.
Lincoln Vulcan’s Adam Mallett won silver in 1:59.38 and the bronze medal went to Ian McMillan (Edinburgh University) in 1:59.41.
Fran Halsall (Loughborough ITC) won the gold medal in the 50m Freestyle with a time of 24.59 which is 0.06 seconds off her personal best.
Silver went to Plymouth Leander’s Emma Wilkins in 25.55 and Loughborough University’s Amy Smith won the bronze in 25.72.
Edinburgh University Louise Henley took the title in the 100m Breaststroke with a good swim. She touched home in a time of 1:10.47.
Millfield School’s Georgina Holderness finished in second place just behind Henley in 1:10.48 and Lowri Tynan (Wrexham) won bronze in 1:10.84.
