It was expected to be a great race and it was. Rebecca Adlington has been
crowned as Olympic Champion in the women's 400m freestyle, becoming the
first British gold medallist since Anita Lonsborough, forty eight years ago,
and the first ever Gold medallist for Britain in the Women's 400m freestyle.
Jo Jackson, her British teammate, finished in fantastic style to claim the
Olympic bronze medal and join Adlington on the podium.
With Adlington and Jackson on the Olympic podium, emotions were running high
within the British team, with swimmers, coaches and support staff ecstatic
with the result. They became the first British women to win medals in the
Olympic pool since Sarah Hardcastle and June Croft in Los Angeles in 1984,
who also shared the podium in the Women's 400m freestyle with a silver and a
bronze respectively.
The Mansfield 19-year-old, Adlington, left it until the last ten metres to
pip Katie Hoff (USA), who had led throughout the race, winning by only seven
one-hundredths of a second in 4:03.22. Jo Jackson, swimming in the
neighbouring lane to Adlington also finished with a late surge to gain the
bronze in 4:03.52.
Despite winning the Olympic Games an emotional but composed Adlington said
"I was disappointed with the time, it was a bit slow compared to yesterday
but I raced which is what I had to do." She was keen to thank her family who
are at home in the UK, friends, coaches and everyone else who has helped her
achieve the Olympic title.
Jackson said " I didn't really know what to expect, I'm overwhelmed to get
an Olympic medal. I'm so pleased. It's fantastic, we have come so far."
Adlington and Jackson both swim in the Women's 4x200m freestyle relay team
on Wednesday, Adlington saying "it's looking great for the relay, I can't
wait to get back in the pool and race."
Adlington also swims the Women's 800m freestyle on Thursday, the event in
which she is ranked world number one in 2008. "I can't celebrate yet as I
have loads more to race but I am delighted," concluded Adlington whose
future looks positive.
Adlington and Jackson's medals mean that Team GB has matched their entire
medal haul in the pool from Athens 2004 in one race.
In the other races, Gemma Spofforth and Lizzie Simmonds started the morning'
s session in true form in the Women's 100m backstroke semi-final. Simmonds
lowered her personal best for the second time in two days, recording 1:00.39
and despite not making the final the signs are good with her preferred
event, the Women's 200m backstroke still to be contended on Thursday 14th.
After entering the semi-final in sixth, Spofforth went one better qualifying
for the final in fifth place in 59.79, just outside her personal best.
Fastest qualifier, silver medallist from Athens 2004 and current Olympic
record holder, Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, had a fantastic swim breaking
the World record in 58.77. Tomorrow's final will be exciting with Natalie
Coughlin (USA) looking like she had more to give after her semi-final.
Swimming in her first Olympic Games and making the Olympic final by
equalling her British record in the Women's 100m butterfly, eighteen year
old Jemma Lowe lapped up the atmosphere in the Water Cube, finishing sixth
in 58.06. "It was an OK race, it hurt quite a lot, but I've swam in the
Olympic final and I'm quite pleased." Looking forward to the longer event,
the 200m butterfly, a relaxed Lowe said "I wasn't too nervous. When you are
led out for your swim, you can hear thousands of people screaming and I just
tried to take energy from what is a great atmosphere. I enjoy the 100m but
probably have a better chance in the 200m, but you never know what the
others are doing."
Lisbeth Trickett of Australia won in 56.73, with 22-year-old Christine
Magnuson of the United States second in 57.10 and Australian Jessicah
Schipper being awarded the bronze in 57.25.
A disappointed Kate Haywood and Kirsty Balfour did not qualify for tomorrow'
s Women's 100m breaststroke final finishing in eleventh and fifteenth place
in 1:08.36 and 1:09.23 respectively. Balfour said, "It felt good, I'm not
sure what happened. Now I have to focus on the 200m and get on with that."
Dominant in the Women's breaststroke since 2005, current world record
holder, the reigning world champion and Olympic record holder Liesel Jones
of Australia qualified first in 1:05.80 with Rebecca Soni (USA) in second
and Mirna Jukic (Austria) in third. Yulya Efimova (Russian Federation) who
set a new European record yesterday qualified in fourth but it is expected
that she will be a challenger in tomorrow's final.
2008-08-11
